G’Day Mate: Weaver Staff Goes Abroad Part 1

This year Weaver had three staff members participate in the Weaver Secondment Program, two working in Australia and one in New Zealand. See what Weaver Houston’s Greg Dean had to say about his experience across the globe.

Name: Greg Dean
Position: Senior Associate II, Audit, Houston
Dates: July – September 2014
Location: Melbourne, Australia
Host Firm: Pitcher Partners

What were the objectives of the secondment?

To learn how auditing is executed in another country, as well as to learn as much as possible about IFRS. I wanted to grasp an understanding of how auditing methodology was different from Weaver. On a personal level, I wanted to explore Australia and meet new people.

Briefly detail your secondment experience.

I had an amazing experience, learned a lot of new auditing techniques and methodologies, and met a lot of great people. Overall, the experience was positive and I would definitely recommend it to future applicants. I worked on different types of clients, learned how other firms do things differently in regard to auditing, saw great sights and met a bunch of cool people.

What have you learned as a result of the secondment experience?

There are different ways to do the same thing (planning, fieldwork, etc.) and come out with the same result. I also learned a lot about the culture of Australia and how each person’s insights affect their job.

What was something that surprised you about the local culture?

I was surprised about how multi-cultural it was. There was a large Asian, Italian and Greek population in Melbourne.

What was a challenge you had to overcome while being in Australia?

Understanding certain Australian and New Zealand accents, as they speak very quickly.

Did you pick up a local phrase or habit while there? 

“No worries,” “Cheers mate,” and “Ta” (you’re welcome).

Name a favorite experience from the trip. 

Cage diving with great white sharks and scuba diving the Great Barrier Reef.