Meet the Speakers

Gaylene Findlay
Advisory Principal
Gaylene joined BDO Taranaki in 1998 after 14 years working in various supply and finance roles with Contact Energy. She was appointed as Principal of BDO Taranaki in 2011 and is also a member of the Māori Business Strategic Sector group.

Gaylene has worked with many small-medium businesses and not-for-profit organisations in mentoring and coaching roles throughout her accounting career. She enjoys getting out from behind the desk to understand her client's business and what they need to reach their goals. Gaylene’s expertise includes business planning, budgeting, management reporting, software & systems, as well as succession and exit planning to help clients prepare for the future with confidence.
Cameron Hart
Partner
Cameron (Cam) is a specialist corporate and commercial lawyer at Govett Quilliam in Taranaki, with expertise in business and asset sales, shareholder arrangements, complex commercial agreements, commercial leasing, employee share schemes, and corporate governance. He has worked in Christchurch in a national corporate team, Auckland in a boutique mergers and acquisitions team, and has in-house experience in the energy sector.

Cam advises clients ranging from large corporates to family-owned businesses, helping them navigate complex transactions, succession planning, and selling shares to the next generation, providing practical, digestible legal advice.

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Past events

GQ's Open Garden Afternoon

As proud festival supporters, we were thrilled to host an exclusive early-access open afternoon at the stunning Stanleigh Garden.

Business Succession Planning Panel

GQ Partner Cameron Hart and BDO Principal Gaylene Findlay joined forces at our free Business Succession Planning event, delivered in partnership with the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce.

The practical and future-focused session guided attendees on the steps to take now to safeguard their businesses and plan for a smooth transition in the future.

Property Playbook

We held our Property Playbook panel event, designed for anyone interested in homeownership, investing, or selling in the Taranaki property market. It was a highly insightful and engaging session, featuring expert perspectives from Luke from Bayleys, Jo from LEND, and Anne-Sophie from GQ. Attendees walked away with practical advice and a clearer understanding of the current property landscape.

What's changing in the workplace?

Our annual Employment Law seminar in partnership with the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce is run by GQ Partner Troy Wano covering everything from legal changes to flexible work trends through a practical and legal lens.

Planning your legacy

This event with the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce brought together GQ Partner Catherine Grogan, Taranaki Foundation CEO Josh Hickford, and BDO’s Gaylene Findlay to share expert insights on making Wills and succession plans work for you, your whānau, and the communities you care about. From avoiding common pitfalls to unlocking the power of charitable giving, attendees left with the knowledge to make informed, future-proofed decisions.

Using tech to safeguard and enhance business

This seminar, held with the Taranaki Chamber of Commerce, explored how tech solutions can enhance security, efficiency, and business success. IT strategist Simon Singh (Proformac CEO) and legal expert Helen Dymond (GQ) shared insights on mitigating risk and leveraging emerging technology. Topics discussed included data protection, privacy, intellectual property, AI from a legal perspective, due diligence in tech adoption, IT auditing, cybersecurity, business productivity apps, and insurance considerations.

Testimonials
"The Taranaki Chamber of Commerce has been privileged to have GQ as a Key Partner for a number of years. Over this time we have co-hosted many seminars on specific relevant topics for business.

Having Troy Wano and his team’s expertise and advice in the employment law seminars has been invaluable in helping our businesses and members have a good understanding of employment contracts, new legislation and how to avoid unnecessary difficulties or pitfalls."
Maura Young (Taranaki Chamber of Commerce)
Testimonials
"The combined skills and experiences of the presenters were excellent and tailored to our local Taranaki market, making the information relevant and relatable for attendees. Presenters were engaging and the relaxed Q&A over a drink and some nibbles approach was appreciated & helpful. Well done team on another great event and the incredible mahi in pulling this all together."
Steven Hill
Testimonials
"The GQ lunchtime presentations provide relevant and timely information and perspectives to alert people of important issues arising from NZ legislation."
Warwick Pettigrew
Testimonials
"Thanks GQ for providing us with an informative presentation on the new Privacy Act 2020. Our team loved it and said it was a great refresher on privacy law and best practice in this area. We look forward to working with these spirited young lawyers in the future."
Joachim Ogden
Testimonials
"Annie Prosser & Beatrice Chamberlain presented a concise and easy-to-understand overview of Charitable Trust guidelines. It was good to have a clear explanation of the changes to the Trust Act and how they impact on our organisation. Thank you - and thanks for the lovely bite to eat too."
Sue Philipson