Cashed Up Prowler; HLB Mann Judd’s Mark Peters Allegedly Fudges AFR Numbers

A few weeks ago we asked mid-tier accounting firm spies to lift their fingers and send Firm Spy some gossip. We were hoping for some general corporate dodginess and so far, this is what we’ve got…

number CRUNCH

An anonymous spy from mid-tier Accounting Firm – HLB Mann Judd wrote:

In the  Australian Financial Review 24th Sept 2010 article entitled Cashed up and on the Prowl, division head of audit, Mark Peters made a series of assertions that are either intentional lies or evidence that he hasn’t “crunched the numbers,” so to speak. He informed the Fin that the firm had rewarded staff through the bonus system during the GFC. This is incorrect as no audit stuff have received bonuses since the 2008 FY.

Peters also claimed in the article that the audit practice has 40 staff. This is incorrect – it currently has less than 30 staff, each of whom are being paid below the levels shown in the major salary guides (Hayes, Michael Page etc).

Staffing morale throughout the firm is currently so low that they recently completed a staff climate survey. Note that many of my colleagues did not complete the survey for fear of their responses being traced.

Yes perhaps Mr Peters was too busy reviewing climate surveys to actually check the figures on staff levels and bonus payments. We hate to consider the alternative hypothesis, given the grand claims on his internet profile, which includes the following remark:

[Mark Peters'] professional career has seen him privy to the rare and invaluable kind of experience that can only be gained through holding senior public sector positions that call upon the highest levels of probity.

Interestingly, on its internet home page, HLB Mann Judd observes under its “services”:

It’s not just about the numbers.

It’s the intelligence behind the numbers that determines your growth, wealth and security.

But what happens when the numbers are wrong?

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