Yvonne Reece is at the helm of a dynamic, diverse, innovative and professional firm of accountants.  As the CEO of Graemor Lifestyle Accountants, Yvonne leads a team who are passionate about, and actively involved, in the growth and success of the business’s clients.

She is a firm believer in the power of inherent entrepreneurial and business ability, and the passion to succeed on every level of life. Yvonne’s energy and strength shines through in all she does, from being actively involved and assisting growth of individuals and businesses, to envisioning the development of a junior entrepreneurs programme.

Yvonne believes in working closely with her clients, actively advising them whilst ensuring financial compliance that is pivotal to the success of all businesses.  Through her passion and expertise, Graemor is acclaimed for putting relationships before function, and having the ability to ‘speak the client’s language’.

Yvonne has a constant drive to learn more and go further, using her innate expertise and energy in everything from being a hands-on mother of three, to lecturing Accounting at Varsity College. This passion for ongoing learning and personal growth is pivotal to her contributions to her clients and staff, as well as her family, from whom she gets her inspiration.

Yvonne first joined Graemor when she was just 17 and Graemor was a small start-up business with a handful of clients.  Her involvement and ultimate ownership of the company was driven by the same desire that still motivates Graemor today – an obligation to customer service.

Yvonne started working for Graemor founder, Maureen Todd, as a receptionist whilst awaiting her Matric results.  It was during this time that Yvonne realised figures made sense to her, and that problem-solving and dealing with people were her strengths.  The clincher came when a customer urgently needed financial statements drawn up, and Yvonne was the only person in the office on that day.  She took this upon herself, put together required records and saved the customer’s overdraft.  It was from this point that Yvonne started to take over the business. 

Two years later, barely out of her teens, Yvonne bought Graemor and moved the expanding company to its current location in the centre of Howick.

In 2006, Nolands, a Cape Town-based auditing firm, approached Yvonne with an expansion proposition.  They were attracted to her company’s drive, tenacity and customer services ethic. A deal was struck and the companies merged, becoming Nolands Graemor.

This brought an opportunity for huge growth, and Yvonne had a vision of branches countrywide.  However, legislation enacted in 2009 disallowed accounting and auditing from being carried out in the same company, which forced Nolands Graemor to split. 

The two companies still maintain a professional relationship, and Nolands remains among Graemor’s esteemed associates.

Yvonne’s vision and tenacity has continued to drive the business forward, with the opening of offices in Pietermaritzburg, and Johannesburg. 

Graemor’s ethos, which is to treat employees and clients as a part of the ‘Graemor family’, flows throughout the three offices.  As with Yvonne’s own career path, internal talent is actively developed and staff members are groomed to grow with the company.  Training sessions for both staff and clients, as well monthly strategies and an open-door policy, are imperative factors to the motivation and productivity at Graemor.

Although law had been her first choice of profession, Yvonne found her passion and expertise in the Accounting field, choosing to use her innate skills and experience in assisting and motivating business owners. 

She brings fresh, innovative ideas and positive energy, mixed with factual and focused solutions to aid businesses and individuals in all areas of accounting, bookkeeping, tax and I.T., a few of the services offered by Graemor.

Yvonne’s favourite saying is ‘It’s not what you know, but what you do with what you know that counts!”.