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Neil Underhill, a locally-born Fijian Chartered Accountant speacialising in the tourism sector, started his life as an accountant 34 years back in 1980. After graduating from the University of New South Wales, he worked in the oil industry both in Australia and New Zealand for 10 years before returning to Fiji to start what is known as “Fiji Coffee”.
After that was reasonably established, Mr Underhill started working for a small Chartered Accounting practice, which he now owns.
His firm provides accounting services and business advice. “I have worked on lots of tourism projects from greenfield planning to intensive care intervention work,” he says.
In 1995, he obtained a Certificate of Public Practice. Mr Underhill is also the founder of CPA Australia-Fiji branch and its treasurer.
His interest in the field started in high school where his passion for bookkeeping started at Suva Grammar.
“I was fortunate enough to have a very good and patient teacher, Mrs Westren,” he said.
“So I had a good grounding and this made the decision to become a chartered accountant much easier.”
To have reached where Mr Underhill has, may seem an easy journey, but it was surely not.
Mr Underhill said the main challenge was obtaining quality continuing professional development at an affordable price.
“This is not so much an issue now that this has been rectified, however, earlier on it was difficult,” he said.
“A second challenge has been to change the stigma of accountants as being ‘bean counters’ only, and not capable of being able to contribute to the growth in economic value.
“The third is meeting reporting deadlines, especially when a year ends on December 31; some stock takes on New Year’s Day have been very interesting indeed.”
