5th Consulting is a chartered accounting and business advisory firm based at 28 Ferry St, Seatoun, Wellington. The firm offers fractional finance leadership and digital transformation support for Boards, executives and growing organisations, positioning itself as an alternative to hiring a full-time CFO.
The team is led by Managing Director Vanessa Leighs, a chartered accountant with over 10 years of experience across technology, entertainment and financial services, specialising in tax and accounting, cash-flow forecasting, business structure, workflow automation, R&D incentives and grants, and trusts. Strategic Advisor Paras Shah brings 22 years of experience as a trusted advisor and organisational change agent, with practice areas covering cybersecurity and privacy, technology risk advisory, technology audit and assurance, data governance, and organisational change enablement.
Core services include bookkeeping and financial administration — covering invoicing, bank reconciliations, expense claims, GST, FBT and annual accounts — delivered by mobile Wellington-based bookkeepers or via cloud solutions nationwide. Virtual CFO services provide financial and management reporting, cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial modelling, strategic planning and start-up structuring on a part-time or remote basis. The firm also offers accounting for trusts, helping trustees meet obligations under the Trusts Act 2019, plus governance and audit support, including experience getting OAG audits approved within 35 working days and leading Toitu Net Carbon Zero certification work.
5th Consulting is a Xero partner and helps clients get up to speed with the software quickly, while offering alternative cloud accounting options for those who prefer not to use Xero. The firm operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and is compliant with the Privacy Act 2020.
5th Consulting is a Wellington-based chartered accounting and business advisory firm, based at 28 Ferry St, Seatoun, offering bookkeeping, virtual CFO services and accounting for trusts to small and medium businesses, start-ups, and organisational boards.
## Who's Behind It The firm is led by Managing Director Vanessa Leighs, a chartered accountant with over 10 years of experience across technology, entertainment and financial services. Her specialisations include tax and accounting, cash-flow forecasting, business structure, workflow automation, R&D incentives and grants, and trusts. She's joined by Strategic Advisor Paras Shah, who brings 22 years of experience as a trusted advisor and organisational change agent, with practice areas spanning cybersecurity and privacy, technology risk advisory, technology audit and assurance, data governance, and organisational change enablement.
## What They're Known For 5th Consulting's bookkeeping and financial administration service covers invoicing and accounts receivable, bank reconciliations, expense claims, GST, FBT, financial record management, annual accounts for tax returns and management accounting — handled by a team of mobile bookkeepers based in Wellington who can travel to clients or work remotely, plus cloud-based solutions available nationwide.
Their Virtual CFO service is built for businesses that need senior financial leadership without the cost of a full-time hire. This includes financial and management reporting, cash flow forecasting, budgeting, financial modelling, strategic planning, start-up structuring, and advice on R&D tax incentives — delivered by chartered accountants with deep commercial experience, on a part-time or remote basis. The firm also provides trust administration and accounting services, helping trustees meet their compliance obligations under the Trusts Act 2019.
On the governance side, the firm notes experience getting OAG (Office of the Auditor-General) audits approved within 35 working days, and has led Toitu Net Carbon Zero certification work for clients.
## Working With Xero 5th Consulting is a Xero partner and reports that clients consistently find Xero easy to use — the firm helps set clients up and teaches them the software quickly. For those who'd rather not use Xero, alternative cloud accounting options are available on request.
## Values and Approach The firm describes its operating principles as integrity, trust, respect, courage and unity, with a stated promise to treat every client as a valued relationship rather than just a number. The broader pitch is straightforward: outsourcing bookkeeping and CFO-level financial expertise saves small businesses the cost and risk of hiring, training and retaining full-time staff for these functions.
## Getting Started Prospective clients are invited to get in touch for an initial conversation, described on the site as an invitation to "meet for coffee" to get to know the business before recommending a solution. The firm operates Monday to Friday, 8am to 5pm, and is compliant with the Privacy Act 2020.