Mark Ward

Background

About Mark Ward

I am the lead Automotive partner at BDO. With the support of a team of experts who specialise in servicing the automotive industry, I help dealerships in the motor, marine, agricultural, motorcycle and caravan industries with their operational and statutory requirements. My expertise includes a range of accounting and business planning practice areas, including compliance for audit and tax, profit enhancement, analytical reviews, and valuations. Having previously worked for a large motor dealer group for 10 years, I have an in-depth understanding of the issues and concerns faced by dealerships, allowing me to take a proactive approach to the advice I provide my clients. Key assignments to date include attending to the compliance function of accounting, audit and taxation for more than 35 dealerships, enabling them to develop processes that ensure a timely and efficient outcome. I have also conducted the valuation of a dealership for the purpose of establishing a commercial value of the goodwill and net business assets. The advice included outlining the most tax effective manner for the sale of the dealership’s assets. My analytical review experience includes identifying the actual performance of a dealership, by department and franchise, against industry benchmarks. Using the experience I had gained from exposure to many dealerships I was able to identify the cause and solution of underperforming areas. In addition, I successfully facilitated a dealership sale with minimal disruption to the staff and operations, while simultaneously maximising the net after tax proceeds to the vendor. I am a regular contributor to leading industry magazines and newsletters, particularly in Queensland.