Meet the Team

Inā kei te mōhio koe ko wai koe, i anga mai koe i hea, ka mohio koe, kei te anga atu ki hea.

If you know who you are and where you are from, then you will know where you are going.

Lorretta Kahui — Director (CA, CPP)

Ngāpuhi | Hawke’s Bay

Lorretta founded Kahui Advisory because building something authentically her own means more than any role ever could. A Chartered Accountant with 20 years of experience across Aotearoa and Australia, she leads with manaakitanga and whanaungatanga at the centre of everything — real, direct, and deeply invested in the people she works alongside.

Kelly List — Operations Manager

Hastings | Hawke’s Bay

Kelly is the operational heart of Kahui Advisory — the person who keeps the engine running while also helping to shape what it’s growing into. With nearly 20 years across finance, consulting, and client services, she brings both the strategic thinking and the practical depth to make things work. Based in Hawke’s Bay, and always thinking about the next problem to solve.

Nicole Taane — Senior Manager

Ngā Ruahine | Napier

Nicole brings over a decade in accounting alongside five-plus years learning what it takes to run a successful firm — commercial acumen as much as technical skill. She's as invested in the team around her as she is in the clients in front of her, building a culture where people feel genuinely valued. Ngā Ruahine. Napier based.

Deane Carson — Manager

Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi | Wellington

Deane brings the kind of technical depth that only comes from spending a decade at a Big Four firm — and the kind of perspective that only comes from stepping outside of it. Grounded in accounting and tax, sharp on advisory, and genuinely invested in making a real difference to the businesses he works with. Te Āti Haunui-a-Pāpārangi based in Wellington.

Jacqui Bougen — Senior Accounts Manager

Hamilton | Waikato

Jacqui brings a rare combination of business ownership experience and 12 years in bookkeeping — meaning she understands the pressures her clients face from the inside out.

Monica Kleyn — Senior Accountant

Napier | Hawke’s Bay

Monica believes great advice doesn’t have to come wrapped in jargon — and that if you can have a laugh while solving a problem, even better.

Hellene Overend — Accounts Manager

Napier | Hawke’s Bay

Hellene brings 30 years of bookkeeping expertise and an unshakeable commitment to accuracy — the kind of steady, trusted presence that small business owners, particularly in construction and engineering, genuinely rely on.

Jess Toulmin - Account Manager

Napier | Hawke’s Bay

Jess brings the discipline and pace of a professional kitchen to the world of accounts — a former head chef who now runs the books with the same precision she once ran a kitchen.

Nicky Ford — Accounts Manager

Hastings | Remote

Nicky is a numbers person in the truest sense — technically grounded, analytically sharp, and the kind of advisor clients call first when they need someone who will actually dig into the detail.