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UNE graduate inspires outstanding business students

August 25, 2005

Andrew Hoholt.jpgThe Director of an Armidale accounting firm has advised students at the New England Business School (NEBS) to “think outside the square” when pursuing their careers in accountancy.

Andrew Hoholt was guest speaker at the annual Merit Awards Evening at NEBS, within The University of New England, last week.

Mr Hoholt, who describes himself as a “lateral thinker”, graduated from UNE in 1988 with a Bachelor of Financial Administration degree. He said his university studies had been “an excellent grounding for a rewarding career”. He inspired the students with the story of that career, which has led him to establish Hoholt Financial Consulting Pty Ltd. His firm provides public practice services to Indigenous organisations, government departments, and the Minister for Aboriginal Affairs, as well as general accounting, taxation, and financial planning services to the wider community.

He has a pilot’s licence, and travels as far as Central Australia visiting clients in remote Aboriginal communities. “Accounting can take you anywhere,” he said.

Mr Hoholt (pictured here) presented certificates of achievement to the 49 award winners who could be there in person. In all, however, the event celebrated the award of more than 300 certificates to the highest-performing students within NEBS over the past year. Many of them are studying by distance education from their homes in faraway parts of the country, and some are even studying at the UNE Wuxi Centre in China.

Those who attended the presentation ceremony were mainly students from NSW and Queensland, together with about 100 of their relatives and friends.

The Merit Awards Evening is sponsored by CPA Australia. Mr Ron Switzer, the Director of the CPA Australia’s NSW Division, together with several members of his senior management team, travelled to Armidale from Sydney for the event.

Associate Professor Ian Eddie, the Head of NEBS, said: “This event is held annually to celebrate the outstanding academic achievements of students studying business subjects such as accounting, finance, marketing, and human resources management. The event highlights the School’s best and brightest students and reflects the very close relationship that NEBS has with CPA Australia.”

“The School very much appreciates the financial and other support that CPA Australia provides to our graduates, current students, and staff,” Dr Eddie said, “and values the excellent relationship that has developed over many years between CPA Australia and UNE.”


Media contact: Associate Professor Ian Eddie, New England Business School, UNE (02) 6773 3043 or Jim Scanlan, Public Relations, UNE (02) 6773 3049.

Posted by Jim Scanlan at August 25, 2005 04:16 PM