For Ed Beasley (OTG 2011), Nick Adgemis (OTG 2015) and Matt Kendall (OTG 2018), mentors have played a defining role in shaping their careers, building confidence and creating a strong workplace culture at accounting and advisory firm, Smith Feutrill.

Why mentorship matters

For Ed, a Principal and Partner at Smith Feutrill, mentoring is ultimately about helping people grow in confidence, perspective and self-belief.

“It’s one of the most rewarding parts of my role,” Ed says.

“Seeing people develop confidence and back themselves is incredibly satisfying.”

Ed believes mentoring is particularly important for young professionals entering today’s workforce, where communication and relationship-building skills can sometimes be overshadowed by digital connection.

“Young people today are incredibly connected online, but I think conversational skills and the ability to give and receive feedback are more important than ever,” he explains.

“Really, we’re all in the communication business.”

Ed also believes the best mentors are not necessarily people with all the answers, but those who are approachable, consistent and willing to genuinely invest in others.

“If you have a productive and aligned team, they can achieve far more collectively than any one person can alone,” he says. “You have to invest in your people.”

Importance of genuine relationships

For Nick, Senior Accountant at Smith Feutrill, mentorship is about much more than simply learning technical accounting skills.

It was a message posted by Ed in the Old Trinity Football Club WhatsApp group that first led Nick to Smith Feutrill while he was studying accounting at university.

Nick says the guidance and support he received from Ed over the years helped shape not only his career, but also his confidence and mindset.

“Ed has an amazing ability to bring everyone along for the ride,” Nick says.

Matt, Charlie Emery, Nick and Ed.

“The lessons I continue to learn from him go far beyond the day-to-day work we do.”

Starting a professional career during COVID lockdowns created additional challenges, but Nick says small moments of connection made a long-lasting difference.

“Even though we started in different teams, Ed would always check-in,” he says.

Nick says that some of the strongest mentoring moments for him happened outside the office, through his and Ed’s shared involvement with the Old Trinity Football Club.

“It created a different relationship where we could take our heads out of spreadsheets and connect on a personal level,” he explains.

One conversation in particular stayed with Nick.

“Ed said to me, “Accounting is a long game, mate. We’re both in this for the long haul.”

“That always stuck with me because it felt like he genuinely believed we could achieve something great together, even when I was fresh and didn’t know the first thing about accounting”.

Matt, Charlie, Ed and Nick with Jean Mitchell, Olympian and former Ruyton Girls’ School student, who recently shared her inspiring story with Smith Feutrill staff, reflecting on her battle with cancer and her journey to representing Australia in Olympic rowing. 

Qualities of a great mentor

For Matt, Technology and Innovation Lead at Smith Feutrill, support from mentors made his transition into professional life much smoother.

“Starting your first professional role can be intimidating,” he reflects.

“Having someone like Ed to learn from and ask questions of made that move so much easier”.

Matt believes one of the defining qualities of great mentors is genuine care.

“The best mentors combine expertise with a real interest in the people they are helping.”

“They are generous with their time. They create an environment where you feel comfortable asking questions, challenging your thinking and continuing your learning.

Learning that goes both ways

Nick and Matt both hope to one day provide the same level of encouragement they have received.

“If I can provide that same level of support and guidance to others in the future, I’d be very proud of that,” Matt says.

For Ed, one of the most valuable parts of mentoring is the learning and the opportunities for both sides.

“I believe leaders need to remain open-minded and willing to learn from younger employees,” he reflects.

“The best lessons often go both ways. If a leader develops a superiority complex, they’re probably closing themselves off to further growth and improvement.”

At its best, a great mentor-mentee relationship is not simply about passing knowledge down from one generation to the next. It is built on trust, mutual respect and a commitment to continue learning together.

The Suzuki method is built on creating the ideal environment for learning, and that requires three committed participants: the child, the teacher, and the parent. Parents attend lessons not simply as observers, but as active learners – watching, listening and taking notes so they can support practice at home. 

Students also participate in group lessons, where playing alongside peers nurtures musical sensitivity and a sense of shared motivation.  

What has surprised me most is how naturally and rapidly Elliot developed musical intuition. He has approached music from a completely different perspective to what I might have expected.

The program has given Elliot a remarkable set of transferable skills. His teachers have focused not just on playing pieces correctly but on teaching him how to learn – such as strategies for breaking down challenges, identifying patterns and working methodically

Absolutely. Being part of the Suzuki community has given Elliot a strong sense of belonging, and that has made a real difference when it comes to performing. Through lessons, school concerts, assemblies and festivals, he has steadily built his confidence in front of an audience. 

Every year at the annual string concert, there is a moment when the entire school comes together to perform a single piece – from the youngest students holding their cardboard violins to the graduating Year 12 class. It never fails to move me. In that moment, I am reminded that Elliot belongs to something much larger than himself. He is part of a special community where every member looks out for one another and lifts each other up which is deeply reassuring as a parent.

Group music-making is, in many ways, a team sport. Elliot has learned to truly listen to the people around him, and to take responsibility for his part within the ensemble. Every player is accountable to the group, and that sense of shared purpose has been a powerful motivator for him. He pushes himself not to let his peers down.