Tim Doyle

Tim Doyle has successfully transitioned from selling sports shoes in Hamilton to working as a Chartered Accountant in London - the world's financial powerhouse.

Rewind back to 2010, and Tim was working at Smiths Sports Shoes, with a degree in sport and exercise science. As sales manager, Tim discovered that he enjoyed working with numbers, money and problem-solving.

To further his career, he decided to enrol for double Graduate Diplomas in Accounting and Management at the University of Waikato's Management School, studying part-time for four years.

“The whole student experience at Waikato was awesome; it creates a huge network after completing university too," says Tim.

Before he'd even graduated, Tim had secured his first job as a junior accountant and began reflecting back to his days at the shoe shop. “My boss was buying products from overseas, adding a margin and then selling them online, so I thought hang on a minute, why can’t I do this too?”

Armed with just $200 and a laptop, Tim founded his own online importing and distribution company, and grew it to over $80,000 annual revenue within 12 months. He went on to create an e-book training course, ‘E-Start-Up’, to share his experience with others wanting to set up an online importing business.

After qualifying as a Chartered Accountant, at the age of 27 Tim headed overseas to London to pursue his love of travel.

He was soon hired as a senior finance manager at Mitie Group Ltd; a FTSE 250 company with over 70,000 employees and revenue of NZ$2.3 billion.

Tim was responsible for managing three major clients, with contracts worth £40 - £160 million a year. “I worked in Mitie’s head office with the CEO literally sitting three desks away from me,” he says.

“Within my first two weeks, I was sitting in a client’s head office; one of the biggest six banks in the UK; and got absolutely torn to shreds by one of their senior managers about a £1.6 million budget over-spend for the previous year. At the time it was terrifying and I wondered if I was going to make it as a Chartered Accountant in London.”

Tim has since returned home to New Zealand and is now employed as a director at Evans Doyle Limited in Cambridge, working with SME business owners all over the country to help them achieve success.

His wealth of knowledge and experience means he is able to communicate boring accounting language in such a way that business owners can understand and take immediate action.