Smartgroup Corporation

With the cost of living on the rise, we’re committed to being the simplest way for people to maximise their earnings. Central to this mission is having exceptional talent in key business areas like finance. That’s why we’re thrilled to welcome Fiona L. as our new General Manager of Financial Control and Reporting at Smartgroup Corporation. Fiona is a CA-qualified professional with degrees in Business and Law from the University of Technology, Sydney, and an MBA from the Australian Graduate School of Management. She brings a wealth of experience from roles at ASX-listed organisations including Stockland, OFX, and Seven West Media. Her expertise will be instrumental in enhancing our financial operations and ensuring the business is in the healthiest position possible.  “I’m excited to join Smartgroup,” Fiona said. “Smart’s commitment to helping customers unlock more of their salary, especially during challenging times, resonates deeply with my values.” Join us in welcoming Fiona to Smart. #Smart #NovatedLeasing #NewHire #talent #FinanceLeadership #SalaryPackaging #CostofLiving #BusinessGrowth 

At Smart, we are committed to building a culture where all our people feel they truly belong.  This year, we are proud to have made significant progress towards this commitment, including:    - Establishment of Accessibility Employee Network Group, with Chief Customer Officer, Bianca Bates, as Executive Sponsor and co-led by Regional Manager Customer Education, Jack Murray and Fidari Jonuzi - Development of an Accessibility Action Plan   Silver membership with Australian Disability Network (ADN) - Participation in ADN’s Accessibility and Inclusion Index to benchmark our current state of play and support continuous improvement  - The adoption of alt text in our LinkedIn posts and internal communications We look forward to continuing to consult with team members and leaders with lived experience of disability to evaluate the current state of accessibility at Smart and to assess and remove any barriers to inclusion for people with disability. To acknowledge International Day of People with Disability on 3 December, we hosted a lunch across all our offices and a panel discussion, featuring members of our Accessibilities Network Group who spoke about what disability inclusion and accessibility means to them and how we can foster inclusivity at Smart. 

Feeling the pinch? Smart customer education specialist Mike Daly shares how salary packaging can help you stretch your pay further. “Using your pre-tax pay to pay for things can reduce your taxable income, so you pay less tax on the money you earn - which means you get to keep more of it for yourself.” Read the full article to find out how you can benefit!  https://lnkd.in/gSMfMDvK #CostOfLiving #SalaryPackaging #SmartSavings

Our Group Executive for Salary Packaging, Employee Benefits, and Fleet, Anthony Dijanosic, joined National Automotive Leasing & Salary Packaging Association | NALSPA’s CEO Rohan M. and Parliamentarians today in Canberra to discuss the future of the EV FBT exemption and show off some of the newest EVs and PHEVs on the market. We even got a sneak peek of the new Ford Ranger PHEV, which will arrive in 2025.      We also heard from EVC CEO Samantha Johnson and Federal Chamber of Automotive Industries CEO Tony Weber, who provided important insights into preserving the EV/PHEV exemption.     We know EVs are important to Australia’s energy transition, and the FBT exemption for EVs is speeding up the country’s uptake of the technology. Currently, the exemption is set to expire for PHEVs on April 1, 2025.     Some of the key takeaways from the day were:  ⚡ The FBT EV exemption is helping reduce the cost of low and zero-emission cars for everyday Australians, encouraging the shift toward electric driving.  ⚡Concerns about EV driving range, charging infrastructure, and the availability of larger vehicle types are barriers to broader EV adoption.  - PHEVs are emerging as a practical transitional solution with government policy support.   ⚡ NALSPA estimates about 40 per cent or more of all BEVs/PHEVs in Australia are now purchased through a novated lease, up from less than two per cent in 2022, helping Australians reduce their income tax, reduce their emissions and achieve household budget savings  ⚡NALSPA figures reveal that everyday workers living in the outer suburbs, including Werribee (Vic) and Kellyville (NSW), are leading the adoption of EVs.  ⚡VFACTS sales data released last week show PHEVs continue to grow rapidly (up 120.5% year-to-date). NALSPA data shows this is particularly so among employees in rural and regional Australia.  ⚡ Speakers said extending the FBT exemption on PHEVs beyond April 1, 2025, is crucial to helping Australia reach its emissions goals by maintaining the affordability and availability of cleaner alternatives to the vehicles Australians prefer.     Thank you to the Parliamentary Friends of EVs group co-chairs, Monique Ryan MP and Dr Michelle Ananda-Rajah MP, and the Speaker Milton Dick MP for hosting the event. MG, FORD, BMW, BYD, MITSUBISHI 

Last August 30, we celebrated Wear it Purple Day. It was a day filled with virtual bingo, lunch and morning teas, and special guests across all our offices. Dakota Fann'ee, our fabulous host in the Sydney Office, treated us to a spectacular Celine Dion mini-drag show and bingo. Our own Anthony Dijanosic had a chat about our ongoing and future LGBTIQA+ workplace initiatives, highlighting the value of supportive, safe, and inclusive environments.   Samantha Fordred, our Employee Guidance Consultant, shared her positive experiences with LGBTIQA+ inclusion since joining our Adelaide office, while Barbara Motley, our Client Payroll Coordinator, emphasized the role of active allies and shared her insights as the parent of a rainbow person.   We had Nita Mannering from Pride in Diversity sharing her personal experiences and insights on how to enhance workplace inclusivity for LGBTIQA+ people based on PiD’s research.   A big thank you to everyone involved in making Wear It Purple Day a success! #WearItPurple #WiPD24 #YourPassionYourPride #WearItPurpleDay2024

Feeling the pinch from rising costs? Discover how an Airlie Beach mum tackled expenses with a smarter choice - novated leasing through Smartgroup. Arabella is one of the growing number of young Queenslanders who are taking advantage of salary packaging to make their pay packets stretch further. Hear what our group executive Anthony Dijanosic has to say about the recent trends Smartgroup is seeing when it comes to salary sacrificing in the full article https://lnkd.in/gVkeak6K  #Salarysacrifice #Novatedleasing #Costofliving #Smarterexperiences

The fleet management industry is evolving with the rise of novated leasing and electric vehicles (EVs). Our Group Executive for Novated Leasing and EVs, Sid Jha spoke to Fleet Auto News on the untapped potential of novated leasing and the critical need for digitisation to enhance customer engagement and simplify the process. Sid says that he aims to demystify novated leasing, emphasising the fact that novated leasing remains one of the most tax-effective and valuable employee benefits - especially for EVs. Read the full article here https://lnkd.in/gZ9St4PT Or head to our website to learn more on how you could benefit from a novated lease https://lnkd.in/gBfeXd6d

We had the privilege of attending a special event hosted by the NSW Department of Education to celebrate the launch of this year’s production of Schools Spectacular All4One! Our CEO Scott W., along with Smart colleagues Bianca Bates, Michael Fairbairn and Lauren McCarron, joined the celebration. As part of our 18-year partnership with the Department, we remain committed to enhancing the financial wellbeing of teaching staff and employees across NSW through salary packaging, including those participating in this extraordinary arena production. Schools Spectacular is a nationally televised, world-class event highlighting the incredible talent of students from public schools throughout NSW. We’re looking forward to seeing this year’s production!

We're committed to creating an inclusive workplace environment for the Lesbian, Gay, Bisexual, Transgender, Queer, Intersex, Asexual, plus other diverse sexual and gender identities (LGBTIQA+) community.   We are excited in 2024 to announce we have partnered with Pride in Diversity for support, expertise and development of our LGBTIQA+ workplace initiatives. Pride in Diversity is Australia’s first and only national not-for-profit employer support program for LGBTQ workplace inclusion.  This is an important step we are taking in further building a culture of inclusion and belonging at Smartgroup. 

We're proud to be continuing our partnership with Aged & Community Care Providers Association as an associate partner once again for 2024-2025. Our partnership with ACCPA allows us to contribute towards the betterment of aged and community care services. Together, we’ll be working towards enhancing the overall wellbeing of our ageing population.