Bean counters Ball

About

The Bean Counters Ball is a joint initiative between local members of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and Certified Practising Accountants Australia (CPA) who form a committee to organise and run the event.

The event was first held in 2011 where 162 people attended and $3,800 was raised and donated.

Now, the event is attended by over 350 people with an average of $30,000 donated annually, split between our charity partners, Samaritans and Hunter TAFE Foundation.

The money provides safe accommodation for adolescents living in the Samaritans Youth Accommodation in Newcastle and Maitland. It also goes towards providing scholarships for students studying Accounting or Finance at Hunter and Central Coast TAFE.

Since 2011, we’ve been proud to support Hunter-based organisations that are making a difference in the lives of youth.

Our committee

A new committee is formed every year with a range of Hunter business professionals across various industries. We meet regularly outside of business hours to discuss and organise the event over a 12-month period. The committee is also made up of sub-committees for the event including sponsorship, communications, prizes, event, and design.

It is estimated that on average, the committee provides over 300 hours of volunteered time each year.

We’re always looking for new committee members, so if you’re interested, please get in touch!

The 2023/2024 Committee

We’re delighted to introduce the Bean Counters Ball 2024 committee:

Rebecca Brown

Chair

An outcome focused professional, Rebecca Brown is experienced in Finance and Management predominantly across the Mining, Health, and Education Sectors. She is currently Manager, Financial Planning & Analysis at Hunter Water.

Rebecca enjoys leading and mentoring teams, partnering with business operations, and building meaningful relationships in both her professional and personal life.

Rebecca joined the Bean Counters Ball committee as an opportunity to give back to the Newcastle and Hunter community.

View Rebecca's LinkedIn

Daniel Drayton

Co-Chair

Daniel Drayton is an Associate Director at SV Partners, specialising in Personal and Corporate Insolvency. He is a qualified Chartered Accountant and completed additional studies in Business Restructuring, Turnaround Management, Insolvency and Bankruptcy law.

Born and raised in the Hunter, Daniel is an avid supporter of charitable organisations in and around Newcastle, having worked with not-for-profit organisations to assist raising funds for Harry’s House, Dog Rescue Newcastle, Dress for Success, Hunter TAFE Foundation and Samaritans.

Additionally, Daniel is Chairperson of the Hunter Local Committee of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).

View Daniel's LinkedIn

Lana Black

Lana Black is a Senior Associate at Osborn Law and heads their Wills and Estates Team. Lana's practice is primarily focused on estate planning and commercial structuring arrangements, along with deceased estates. Lana is passionate about providing practical advice to her clients and looks to ensure her clients' affairs are appropriately structured both in their lifetimes and after their death.

Giving back to the community is one of Lana's core values and she is regularly involved in fundraising and charitable initiatives and is excited to be on the Bean Counters Ball committee.

View Lana's LinkedIn

Cameron Burns

Cameron Burns is a Manager at PwC within the Assurance division. As a qualified Chartered Accountant, Cameron has experience working with local not-for-profits and registered charities, but now predominantly works with clients in Construction and Manufacturing industries.

Cameron has joined the Committee ahead of the 2024 Ball. He is passionate about how professional service firms can use their knowledge and expertise to assist community organisations to achieve better social outcomes.

In his spare time, Cameron is a soccer referee and enjoys spending lazy weekends with his partner and their dog.

View Cameron's LinkedIn

Jackie Marriott

Jackie Marriott is a Principal within the PKF Business Advisory Services team and is based in the Newcastle office. She has over eight years’ experience in the accounting and business advisory industry locally, and within this time has had great exposure to many types of industries.

Her dedication to her clients is shown through the exceptional support and services she provides, as well as her drive to exceed client expectations. This is Jackie’s second year on the Bean Counters Ball committee.

View jackie's LinkedIn

Taylah Parker

Taylah Parker is an Assistant Manager within the PKF Business Advisory Services team, based in the Newcastle office. She has almost six years’ experience as an accountant and is keen to join the Chartered Accountant Program this year.

Taylah joined the committee ahead of the 2025 Bean Counters Ball and is looking forward to giving back to the community and being involved in a charity event.

In her spare time Taylah is an avid traveller and loves planning new trips. When she isn’t at work she is often at the gym or going for a run.

View Taylah's LinkedIn

Kate Taylor

TAFE Representative

Kate Taylor is a TAFE Services Coordinator and works with campus operations and community engagement. She has also works in project, campus and community engagement roles that influence student experience, educational growth and enrolment opportunities.

With a background as a TAFE NSW Teacher and great connection with industry, Kate has a passion for educational pathways, working closely with teachers, students and connecting with the community to create opportunities for personal or career growth is her motivation.

Since joining the Bean Counters Ball Committee in 2020, Kate continues to connect the Bean Counters Ball Committee and Hunter TAFE Foundation to remove barriers and create support outcomes for accounting students studying at TAFE NSW.

Renee Urbanowicz

Samaritans Representative

Renee serves as the Marketing Business Partner at Newcastle Anglican, overseeing the Samaritans Foundation—an agency that operates more than 120 support services across the Central Coast, Newcastle, Hunter Valley, and Mid-North Coast regions. These services cater to diverse populations, including young individuals, families, those with disabilities or mental health challenges, individuals facing homelessness or crises, and the broader community. Juggling the dynamic role of a mother to two young children, she thrives on the balance between her professional responsibilities and family life. Renee is deeply committed to achieving excellence in both her career and parenting journey, and is driven by a mission to leave a lasting impact in the field of marketing while cherishing the joys of family life.