When Kyabram’s Michael Watt first walked through the doors of the accounting firm he would eventually come to lead, the tools of the trade were very different.

It was 1976, on his 20th birthday, and he was stepping into a career of accounting and financial planning, without desktop computers, adding machines or even a phone at his desk.

Mr Watt’s entry into the profession wasn’t driven by a childhood dream, but rather through chance after his father went to get his tax done that year.

At the time, the firm was looking for an accountant, and despite having no interest in the field, Mr Watt took his father’s suggestion and started work at Kyabram Taxation and Secretarial Services, later known as M+S Group Accounting.

It began a journey that would see him begin his degree in business in 1983, after studying for six years and commuting to Bendigo twice a week to complete his studies in 1989.

Two years later, he would go on to continue studies for his Certified Public Accountant certificate.

Now, exactly 50 years later, the industry has evolved and so did Mr Watt’s role.

He is now preparing to take a step back from his position of managing director, leaving behind a legacy in regional accounting and financial planning firm M+S Group Accounting.

Over the years, Mr Watt has led the firm through building changes, challenges and drove its growth from its Kyabram roots, to Shepparton and then Echuca, now with 52 staff across the board.

While accounting is often viewed through the lens of numbers and spreadsheets, Mr Watt enjoys that it can also be about so much more than that, including people and relationships.

“It’s known as a very boring industry, and it can be, but if you decide to effectively run your accounting business in a certain way, it can be all about people,” he said.

“Because we were doing more than just tax, you know, you got to know people (and) all about all the clients you were dealing with.”

Operating differently than other accounting firms, he would spend three days a week outside the office meeting clients, most of which were farmers.

“You just got that rapport with people because they felt comfortable,” Mr Watt said.

“So at the end of the day, it’s not about accounting, it’s about people.”

He became a trusted fixture for families across the Goulburn Valley, navigating complex farm successions and working across four generations with some families.

“Watching people achieve their goals is the real satisfaction, and it gives you a very nice relationship,” he said.

“It has just been a career that has been extremely satisfying.”

As he prepares to take a step back, Mr Watt is confident in the future of the firm, knowing it will still be operating in 10 years to come and will “probably be bigger than it is now.”

Mr Watt was recently acknowledged for his 50-year legacy and commitment to the firm, with the announcement of the Michael Watt M+S Group Accounting Scholarship, part of the Lift Off Education Scholarships program.

The scholarship will be awarded to a student in the Goulburn Valley, pursuing studies in accounting, finance, economics, business management or leadership.

As for his next steps, he plans to slow down, improve his golf, and just “see what happens.”

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Sunday, 29th July 2029

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