At Prime Partners, leadership is built deliberately through experience, trust and a consistent ability to bring clarity to complex work.
Over the past year, we’ve been proud to recognise several team members through promotion to Associate Director roles across both Prime Partners and our sister business, SMSFcentral. These appointments reflect sustained contribution, deep technical capability and a strong alignment with how we support clients, bringing clarity and consistency over the long term. In June last year, Daniel Karadinovski, Vlad Sixta were promoted to Associate Director at Prime Partners. More recently, in January this year, Natascha Cherry stepped into the Associate Director role following more than a decade of industry experience.
We also recognise Millinda Cobban, Associate Director of SMSFcentral, whose leadership plays a critical role in supporting trustees through the full administration of self-managed superannuation funds.
Why Associate Director Roles Matter.
Associate Directors sit at an important intersection within our businesses.
They provide senior oversight and technical consistency, contributing to work that supports client confidence, continuity and sustainable outcomes over time. These roles are not time-based promotions; they reflect trust earned through years of delivery, leadership and care.
For clients, Associate Directors provide continuity backed by deep experience, while for our teams they reflect a clear career pathway and leadership that has been developed from within.
Natascha Cherry, Associate Director (Promoted January).
Natascha was promoted to Associate Director in January 2026, recognising over 14 years of experience as a Chartered Accountant and her long-standing contribution to client work at Prime Partners.
She supports a diverse range of clients across complex accounting and compliance matters and is known for her structured, detail-oriented approach. Natascha brings a calm clarity to her work, helping clients understand requirements without feeling overwhelmed.
In reflecting on her progression, Natascha shares her perspective on stepping into the Associate Director role, how her experience has shaped her approach and why clear communication is central to building client confidence.
What does your promotion to Associate Director represent for you at this stage of your career?
At this point in my career, it reinforces that I’m on the right trajectory. Building a reputation as a trusted advisor, an effective leader, and someone who can balance commercial, operational, and client‑centric priorities.
Looking back over your career, what experiences have most influenced how you approach client work today?
I’ve been really lucky to have a diverse mix of mentors, colleagues and clients who have sculpted how I approach the day to day and extraordinary events that come up with clients. I try to always take a client centric approach to any situation and tailor my delivery to suit each individual to make things as simple as possible, without reducing our risk radar ensuring we’re always protecting their best interest.
You’re known for your attention to detail – how do you balance accuracy with helping clients clearly understand what’s required of them?
Building a rapport with clients so that they trust that I’ve done everything in my power to ensure things are technically correct, and then we can talk through how it affects them directly without having to use the jargon or go through the complicated calculations. I find knowing how to rephrase or summarise key action points really does come with experience and confidence.
Complex accounting and compliance obligations can feel overwhelming – how do you approach explaining issues so clients leave conversations feeling clear and supported?
Knowledge really is power in this situation. The more comfortable I am with the advice and reasons behind it, allows me to be clear and concise with my communication. Luckily Prime really values technical training and we’re afforded every opportunity to learn and refresh relevant topics so hopefully this translates to our client conversations as well. Clear actionable points or considerations is always helpful at the end of meetings as well to provide that clarity for action or reflection.
How do you see your role evolving now that you’re part of the firm’s senior leadership group?
Really hoping we can continue to build and develop the team ensuring we’re providing for sustainable growth and opportunities for everyone to develop. Professional services is so much about who you get to work with and we want to ensure we’re coming to work each day with like minded people we enjoy.
What advice would you give to someone earlier in their career aiming for long-term growth in the profession?
It is so much more than just the numbers on a page. Sometimes its filled with lodgement dates and deadlines, but more importantly its about the people, colleagues, clients alike and how you can grow with them and help them when they need it. Being a trusted advisor is such a privileged position and it is really rewarding. Learn from everyone, take opportunities to pivot and grow because there is plenty.
Daniel Karadinovski, Associate Director (Promoted June).
Daniel was promoted to Associate Director in June last year, recognising his deep expertise in SMSF compliance and administration and his consistent contribution to quality and review across the firm.
Daniel works closely with SMSF trustees to support compliance, reporting and ongoing administrative obligations in a highly regulated environment. His meticulous approach and strong understanding of SMSF requirements underpin Prime’s SMSF capability.
Here, Daniel reflects on his progression into a senior leadership role and the importance of clarity and consistency in SMSF administration.
What did your promotion to Associate Director represent for you when you stepped into the role last year?
It felt like recognition of the depth I’ve built in SMSF and the trust placed in me by the team and clients. More than anything, it meant stepping up to take greater ownership of quality and leadership.
SMSFs involve significant regulatory responsibility – what do you see as the most important role an accountant plays in supporting trustees?
My role is to make complex obligations clear and manageable so trustees can make informed decisions with confidence. It’s about staying proactive and protecting them from avoidable issues.
What are some common compliance risks or administrative issues you regularly help clients navigate?
Contribution caps, pension compliance and related-party transactions are common pressure points. Most issues come down to timing or documentation, so structure and oversight are key.
SMSF reporting and obligations can be technical – how do you help bring clarity so trustees understand what’s happening and why?
I focus on explaining what the numbers mean in practical terms, not just delivering reports. When clients understand the context, the technical side feels far less daunting.
How has your role in reviewing work and supporting team members evolved since becoming an Associate Director?
I now spend more time reviewing and mentoring to ensure consistency and technical accuracy across the board. It’s about lifting the overall standard, not just my own work.
What do you see as critical to maintaining consistency and accuracy in SMSF administration over time?
Clear processes, ongoing learning and attention to detail keep everything aligned. In SMSF, discipline and consistency really are everything.
Vlad Sixta, Associate Director (Promoted June).
Vlad was promoted to Associate Director in June 2025 after several years with Prime Partners, having joined the firm in 2019 as a Senior Accountant. Over that time, he progressed through Assistant Manager, Manager and Senior Manager roles.
A Chartered Accountant with strong expertise in cloud-based systems such as Xero, Vlad supports small to medium businesses across a range of industries. His focus is on setting up systems correctly and helping clients understand the information those systems produce. Vlad shares his perspective on internal progression, changing client needs and the role clear systems play in day-to-day business operations.
What did being promoted to Associate Director last year mean for you personally?
Being promoted to Associate Director was a proud moment for me. I started at Prime in 2019 as a Senior Accountant, so progressing through each level to Associate Director has been really rewarding. It reflects the trust the partners and the team have placed in me over the years. On a personal level, it’s motivating to know that the work I’ve put in over the years has led to this opportunity.
Since joining Prime in 2019, how have you seen client expectations and needs evolve?
Client expectations have definitely changed over the past few years. When I first joined, many clients were mainly focused on compliance – tax returns, BAS and year-end financials. Now, more businesses want timely insights and proactive advice. They expect real-time access to their numbers and want help interpreting what those numbers mean. Clients want efficiency and appreciate clarity.
Why is system setup and ongoing training such an important part of supporting SMEs?
A well-set-up system makes everything easier. If the chart of accounts, reporting structure and integrations are set up properly from the beginning, it saves time and reduces errors later on. Ongoing training plays an important part. A system is only useful if the business owner and their team understand how to use it.
Financial systems generate a lot of data – how do you help clients use reporting in a way that brings clarity rather than confusion?
It’s easy for clients to feel overwhelmed by the amount of data available hence to focus on what actually matters to their business is the priority. Rather than showing every possible report, it’s important to listen to clients and to identify key numbers and build simple reporting around those. The goal is to turn data into something practical and easy to understand, not something too technical and complex.
What challenges do businesses commonly face when adopting cloud-based accounting tools?
The biggest challenges are usually around implementation. Many businesses underestimate how important the initial setup is. If data is migrated incorrectly or processes aren’t clearly defined, issues can continue for years. There’s also a learning curve. Moving from traditional systems to cloud-based platforms requires a mindset shift. Some business owners are comfortable with their old processes, so helping them to adapt to new systems can take time.
How does your Associate Director role change the way you support clients and the wider team?
As an Associate Director, I’m more involved in conversations with clients. I spend more time mentoring team members and helping shape how we deliver our services. It’s about providing direction as well as technical support. The role is less about just reviewing work and more about providing direction – both in how we support clients and how we continue improving internally.
Millinda Cobban, Associate Director – SMSFcentral.
Millinda Cobban is an Associate Director of SMSFcentral and has been the Head Client Relationship Manager since 2017.
SMSFcentral is a specialist superannuation administration business owned by Prime Partners, established to provide dedicated support to self-managed superannuation fund trustees. The business focuses on the full administration of SMSFs, assisting with compliance, reporting and the day-to-day management of each fund.
Millinda brings deep industry knowledge, a genuine passion for SMSF administration and a strong commitment to supporting clients with clear, practical guidance.
Her leadership reflects a hands-on understanding of trustee needs and the importance of clear, reliable administration in maintaining confidence and compliance.
You’ve led client relationships at SMSFcentral since 2017 – how has the business and the SMSF landscape evolved over that time?
I’ve seen a lot of change over the past 9 years which has reshaped the way we do things and the ways trustees approach their SMSFs and investments. Education, accuracy and having things automated and digitalised as much as possible has never been so important.
What does being appointed Associate Director represent for you and the team at SMSFcentral?
This appointment is really exciting for me. It represents growth and opportunity to further develop our team and its processes and increases our capacity to provide the same service excellence to more SMSF trustees.
SMSF administration can feel complex for trustees – how do you help bring clarity to processes and ongoing obligations?
I am passionate about education and training, both for our staff and our clients. I get to know each of our clients and their communication preferences and use simple, jargon-free language to communicate.
What do clients value most when it comes to SMSF administration and communication?
Honesty, transparency, efficiency and accuracy are vital for both the communication and administration. Our clients often need assistance in a very short turnaround time and have to be able to rely on the information and documents being correct.
How do strong systems and consistent processes support better client experiences?
In my opinion, they are essential. We have invested in our software and processes from day one and, as a result, our clients rarely have any audit issues and know they can rely on our work. Processes need to be malleable in an industry with so much change, but we focus on making them better if changes are needed.
What continues to motivate you in working closely with SMSF clients year after year?
I love helping people, through the good and the bad times, and providing education. I’m also a big nerd when it comes to superannuation and I enjoy the challenges it presents.
A Shared Commitment to Clarity.
Across Prime Partners and SMSFcentral, a common principle underpins the work of our Associate Directors: clarity builds confidence.
Whether supporting accounting compliance, SMSF administration or financial systems, clear communication, consistency and care reduce uncertainty for clients and strengthen long-term relationships. Our Associate Directors play a key role in embedding this approach across teams, processes and client experiences.
Looking Ahead.
These promotions, spanning different points in the past year, reflect our ongoing commitment to developing leadership from within and recognising sustained contribution across the group.
We’re proud to acknowledge Natascha, Daniel, Vlad and Millinda as Associate Directors and to celebrate the experience, clarity and care they bring to our clients and teams every day.
As Prime Partners and SMSFcentral continue to grow, their leadership will play an important role in shaping what comes next.