Jeff McDermid
Company Secretary
Jeff is a co founder of WMS Chartered Accountants. Jeff and John Watter commenced the new practice on 1 May 1994 following their retirements as partners from Ernst and Young.
Jeff was a partner of one of the predecessor firms of Ernst and Young, Arthur Young and Co and transferred to the Gold Coast office of Ernst and Young from Newcastle in 1990. He commenced his professional life with Arthur Andersen and Company, spending nine years with them in their Sydney and Hong Kong offices. Jeff has also spent some time on the other side of the consulting desk being the financial controller for a major international cement manufacturing company.
Jeff’s area of practice over the latter years has been in the Business Services arena with a focus on taxation matters. He consults to a wide variety of clients on all aspects of business life. His consulting assignments include structuring of joint ventures, advice and assistance regarding government incentives, tax advice, both local and international, prospectuses for public fundraising, assistance with negotiations and commercial advice generally. Jeff has acted and acts as a director for a number of listed and unlisted public companies.
He has always been active in community affairs serving as either Treasurer or Director of a number of organisations. He is currently a board member of Gold Coast Innovation Centre Limited, Founders Forum Limited and Gold Coast Business Growth Incorporated. He is a Strategic Adviser to the Vice Chancellor, Griffith University and a member of Gold Coast City Council’s Regional Economic Development Advisory Board. He also serves on the Executive of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, Gold Coast branch.
He is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, former Fellow of the Australian Society of Certified Practising Accountants, a Fellow of the Taxation Institute of Australia, Associate Fellow of the Australian Institute of Management, a Fellow of the Urban Development Institute of Australia, a Registered Tax Agent and a Registered Company Auditor.