About us
Your trusted partner with specialist expertise to simplify complexity.
We are an award winning actuarial certificate provider, providing certificates in minutes direct via our online portal or through leading SMSF accounting platforms.
Accurium Education provides professional development that is trusted, flexible and practical, led by our respected SMSF and Tax experts. We provide engaging and practical training that simplifies complexities and emphasises what’s important. Our training is suitable for accountants at every career stage, from newcomers to seasoned professionals.
Our technical helpdesk further extends our services offered to accountants. Rely on our expertise for timely, considered and comprehensive answers.
Accurium is your trusted financial consulting partner with specialised actuaries who bring in-depth knowledge of superannuation and retirement to provide expert risk assessment and management. Our range of consulting services caters to accountants, financial advisers, and legal professionals, offering solutions such as pension restructuring reports, valuations, and retirement modeling. We bring a data-driven, unbiased perspective to empower informed decisions.
Our people
Doug McBirnie
Managing Director
Doug is Senior Actuary and Managing Director of Accurium with extensive experience in superannuation in Australia and the UK. Doug is passionate about the retirement space and providing innovative solutions to help SMSF practitioners and their clients. As our signing actuary, Doug signs more SMSF actuarial certificates than any other actuary in Australia which provides him with great insight into the SMSF market.
Melanie Dunn
Principal
Melanie is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and an SMSF Specialist Adviser with over 15 years’ experience in our superannuation team. She is passionate about providing services to assist professionals efficiently and effectively deliver superior retirement outcomes to their clients. She has extensive knowledge and experience in superannuation and retirement.
Mark Ellem
Head of Education (SMSF)
Mark generally needs no introduction in the SMSF space, he is a popular, experienced and highly sought after presenter who is passionate about educating accountants and SMSF practitioners about SMSFs and strategies to make SMSFs a successful part of their business. Mark has extensive experience in Self-Managed Superannuation Funds (SMSFs), Pension Funds, Income Tax and Financial Advisory.
Lee-Ann Hayes
Head of Education (Tax)
Lee-Ann’s taxation journey began at the Australian Taxation Office where she held various technical and education positions. From there Lee-Ann has worked in both public practice and for several national training organisations. She has extensive experience in developing and delivering tax education to a wide and varied audience, including graduate accountants, big four accounting firms and professional associations.
Anthony Cullen
Senior SMSF Educator
Anthony joined the Accurium education team in late 2023 and has over 25 years of experience in the accounting and SMSF industry.
He has previously held senior roles managing the SMSF division of a small accounting practice and providing SMSF technical support within a large SMSF administration business.
Oscar Chavez
Director – Solutions & Services
Oscar Chavez is a respected advisor and strategic leader working within the Australian accounting industry. Working at the intersection of tax, technology, SMSF, and professional services innovation. With a career spanning nearly two decades, Oscar helps thousands of firms streamline their operations, deepen technical capability, and navigate industry change - from regulatory reform to practice profitability.
Megan Kaponas
Senior Brand & Marketing Manager
Megan has been working at Accurium for over 20 years and manages marketing campaigns, partner relationships, client communications, advertising and promotional activities with accountants and practitioners operating in the SMSF retirement market. She has recently completed her Master of Marketing through Charles Sturt University.
Matthew Richardson
SMSF Manager
Matthew is the SMSF Manager at Accurium and has extensive knowledge in superannuation and self-managed superannuation funds. He is a qualified CPA and SMSF specialist adviser. He has worked at Accurium for over 10 years, providing actuarial certificates and technical assistance to Accurium’s large client base of accountants and SMSF practitioners.
Jason Hurst
Technical Superannuation Adviser
Jason is an experienced commentator, presenter and writer on superannuation and retirement. He is a master at breaking down complex technical concepts for professional advisors and their clients.
He has over 20 years’ experience in the wealth and retirement sectors, working with accountants and advisers to build their technical skills.
Mikala Whiting
Brand and Marketing Manager
Mikala has been with Accurium for over two years and works within our marketing department, taking on many responsibilities such as coordinating events, social media campaigns, client communications, advertising and promotional activities with accountants and practitioners.
Jacco Vonk
Development Manager
Jacco is an IT professional with over 20 years of software development experience. Jacco specialises in web development using Microsoft’s .NET framework and tools. Jacco has worked in a variety of industries such as Energy, Government, Education and Financial Services. Jacco enjoys swimming, playing guitar and spending time with his family.
Billy Roebuck
Senior Software Developer
Billy is a software engineer with experience in the financial services, not-for-profit and telecommunications sectors, both in Australia and
overseas. He designs and builds solutions with a mix of Microsoft .NET,
SQL Server and various front end technologies.
Hillary Ngo
Actuarial Consultant
Hillary is a Fellow of the Institute of Actuaries of Australia and is new to Accurium. She has over three years of experience in Superannuation and Retirement and is committed to assisting professionals with providing effective retirement outcomes to their clients. Hillary is excited to be supporting our actuarial and superannuation consulting and calculator development services.
Leo Tjong
Actuarial Analyst
Leo is a recent Actuarial Science graduate and joined Accurium in August 2024. With prior experience working as an SMSF accountant, he is eager to contribute to the SMSF team. He is currently studying and working towards becoming a fully qualified actuary.
Sajan Phuyal
SMSF Analyst
Sajan is a dedicated accounting professional with a growing expertise in Self-Managed Superannuation Fund (SMSF) compliance. He is currently part of the Accounts team at Accurium, where he works closely with the Revenue Accountant to support financial reporting processes and manage actuarial certificate orders.
Olena Nazarko
Marketing Assistant
Olena joined the marketing team with a passion for creativity and strategic thinking. With over four years of experience in marketing, she has worked across various industries, including hospitality, creative services, and the yacht industry, developing expertise in social media management, advertising, and client engagement.