As Accounting Principal at LDB, Daniel Dubois helps his clients navigate complex structural issues on a day-to-day basis.

But on weekends, the former band manager and speedway racer can be found at home fulfilling an Australian dream.

What is your professional background and how did you end up at LDB?

My career started in the audit division at KPMG, which was a great learning environment. After gaining my Chartered Accountant accreditation, I made the move to a manager role in a small practice in South Melbourne.

I developed my business advisory and tax skills while still involved in auditing and due diligence and made the transition to Partner.

Over time, the desire to move my family to the leafy-green east and be a part of a practice that could offer a greater diversity of services brought me to LDB.

What do you love about your job?

Building relationships with both clients and members of the practice are the aspects I enjoy most. In today’s digital environment, it can be too easy to be task-oriented and forget about the human element. Culture is important.

Understanding and solving complex technical issues is also very rewarding. Technology, tax law and our world are always evolving, and working out how both clients and LDB proceed from here is a constant learning experience.

Also part of my sphere is working within the social enterprise and not-for-profit sectors, which is a great opportunity to give back to our communities and work with some incredibly inspiring people.

What’s your best tax or business advice?

Be focused on your goals and have a plan to take you from where you are now through to what you want to achieve.

Be willing to listen to people around you and know that your plan will usually need to adapt in the face of change.

What are your hobbies outside of work?

I’ve been fortunate enough to have been involved in everything from scuba diving through to racing in speedway, managing a band, cycling and hiking.

Music and reading have also been a big part of my life, as well as collecting and appreciating experiences.

Bringing up a family is now incredibly rewarding while refurbishing a renovator’s delight is my current project. Life is busy.

What’s your secret vice?

Dark chocolate, adrenaline and red wine.

What’s your favourite book, movie and TV show?

My favourite book is Catch 22, and I’m a fan of The Blues Brothers and most good satire films. The Expanse rates amongst my top current TV shows.  Mind you, the introduction of video on demand has brought about a huge improvement in recent years, with multi-season story arcs now challenging cinema as the visual genre for serious story-telling.