Stefanie is a Senior Manager in the Tax Advisory Division of Findex’s Melbourne office yet works locally from Findex’s Mildura site. Stefanie discovered Mildura during her gap year, whilst backpacking and fruit picking on a working holiday visa.
“Coming from a small country town in Germany, I’ve always liked the expanse of the land. That coupled with the many sun hours and dry heat in Mildura, as well as meeting my husband, made settling here a breeze.
“I had a physiotherapy study placement in Germany to go back to, following my year abroad. After deciding to stay in Australia and looking to self-fund being an international student - I revisited my options. In high school, I had majored in sports and maths, so logically working with numbers seemed the next best choice. After an insightful chat with a local accountant, I went on to enquire at the local campus."
Stefanie completed a Bachelor of Commerce with La Trobe University, majoring in accounting and has since gone onto complete further qualifications, such as becoming a Certified Practising Accountant (CPA), Registered Tax Agent (RTA) and more recently also a Certified Tax Advisor (CTA).
“I started my career with Findex in their accounting division whilst still studying. 18 years later, I am still with Findex - which is quite rare these days, but I absolutely love the work that I do. There have been many changes along the way, including the transition to tax advisory,” Stefanie says.
Mildura’s sunny climate was also a factor for Cordula, when she made her decision to settle in the community. Working at Mildura Rural City Council as an Economic Development Project Officer, she is passionate about playing a part in the region’s growth.
“There is so much potential for our region and at the same time we are facing challenging economic conditions, which need to be considered and planned for. I’m very happy in the Economic Development and Tourism team, as this is the type of work I’ve wanted to do since discovering my passion for this field whilst at uni.”
Like Stefanie, Cordula came to Australia on a working holiday visa and whilst in Darwin wanted to obtain a second year of her VISA, which required 88 days of farm work.
“When looking for farmwork, I met a lovely Mildura local who offered me work around Mataranka and Humpty Doo pruning mango trees. Once the contract in the Northern Territory was finished, him and his crew offered for me to come to Mildura with them. Having never heard of this place before, but always keen for an adventure - I said yes.
“After deciding to stay in Australia and study here instead of in Germany, I originally enrolled at Griffith University. However, I changed my mind to La Trobe, after establishing networks and friendships in Mildura. Moving my whole life overseas and studying in a foreign language was daunting enough, so being part of a supportive community in a regional area made me want to study in Mildura.
“I chose the Bachelor of Business (Management), as I wanted to further develop my skills, gain academic knowledge and become a business leader. Originally not knowing which industry I wanted to work in, I appreciated the business skills taught at La Trobe, which can be applied in pretty much any industry.”
