OUR STORY
At Afirmo, we make small business ownership attainable for any one keen to give owning a business a go.
Our mission is to take away obstacles to business management, to simplify the process of starting, running, and growing a business, making it less daunting and more achievable.
Afirmo was born in Auckland, New Zealand, in 2020 when cofounders Robert Rolls and Mary Fitzgerald recognised a pressing need: small business owners lacked a reliable, software solution to manage key aspects of their businesses efficiently and affordably.
We saw how challenging it was for people new to self-employment to get everything right the first time, and we knew something had to change.
Rob and Mary are a couple, and business partners, and together are committed to demystifying tax and accounting management through effective and efficient automated business software.
The Afirmo app is a comprehensive solution that covers every aspect of running a business, from company formation to day-to-day management. Whether you need help with bookkeeping, managing invoices, filing taxes, or even securing the right insurance, Afirmo has you covered.
The software’s core solution is online tax and accounting software designed to help small business owners manage their accounting and tax needs.
In 2021, Rob and Mary teamed up with technical expert and co-founder Ertan Sarikaya, who led the development of Afirmo’s advanced automated tax and accounting management software platform, and Julie Robertson, who manages many aspects of Afirmo’s operations. Since 2021 the Afirmo team has grown in step with the company’s growth.
What makes Afirmo unique is we have created software automation that streamlines processes such as tax return processing and filing, saving customers time.
Embracing automation in our systems also means we are able to offer New Zealand’s lowest fees for tax software and accounting services. Business owners solve two of the biggest small-business ownership problems when they join Afirmo – time and money. We also keep the power in the business owner’s hands.
We empower them with information about their finances and tax bill status, but they are calling the shots, meaning they can use their tax savings if they need them in times of cashflow shortfall.
Rob is from the United Kingdom and a qualified accountant, and moved into banking roles in London before relocating to New Zealand in 2003. He has set up a number of start-ups, mainly in the tech space. Prior to cofounding Afirmo, Rob co-owned New Zealand’s web domain name registration company, the Freeparking group. This blend of finance and technology skills is at the forefront of the vision to create Afirmo.
Mary is a New Zealander, and a qualified journalist having worked with well-known household publications in New Zealand. Prior to qualifying in and practicing journalism, Mary worked in commercial marketing and operations. For a decade Mary was the National Marketing executive with Southern Community Laboratories, a private community medical laboratory group, before moving into journalism and communications.
This blend of marketing, operations, and journalism are brought into Afirmo in her leadership managing company-wide operations. Family is at the core of Mary’s life, so she understands the challenging balance many women face in being in business and the unpaid work involved in being the central manager of all things in the family.
Meet the Directors and Founders:
The diversity of Afirmo’s directors and founders is like the diversity of all our team members. Our team come from all over the world but live and have strong ties with New Zealand.
Introducing us personally:
Robert Rolls, Founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
Rob is from the United Kingdom and a qualified accountant. He moved into banking roles in London before relocating to New Zealand in 2003. He has set up a number of start-ups, mainly in the tech space. Since arriving in New Zealand, he ran and co-owned the Freeparking group. This blend of finance and technology skills is at the forefront of the vision to create Afirmo. When Rob is not at the helm of Afirmo, he loves time with his children. Rob lives on Waiheke and loves to explore the various coastal walkways that wind around the island and is a committed supporter of Waiheke’s local businesses. When he has the opportunity to put his feet up, he loves to watch and support the All Blacks in play.
Mary Fitzgerald, Co-Founder and CCO (Chief Communications Officer)
Mary is a New Zealander, and a qualified journalist having worked with well-known household publications in New Zealand. Mary was the national marketing manager in a family-owned business in the medical sector for a decade before moving into her passion of journalism. Her skills learned from many years in marketing and journalism are brought into Afirmo in our customer communications. Mary is curious by nature and loves reading and learning and finding new ways of making things happen. Family is at the core of Mary’s life, so she understands the challenging balance many women face in being in business and the unpaid work involved in being the central manager of all things in the family.
For fun Mary loves being surrounded by friends and family, she loves to cook and entertain. Meditation and exercise and long island walks are at times aspirational, but always enjoyed when she gets the time to stop and enjoy these simple pleasures.
Ertan Sarikaya, Co-Founder and CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
Ertan set up and managed a successful hosting, cloud, and data centre business and pioneered the internet services development in his home country of Turkey. He leads the ongoing development and build of the Afirmo app, with great support from our technical team.
When not working, Ertan enjoys having time with family, and having fun with his daughters. He enjoys exploring new places, taking part in city tours, exploring beaches and bush walks, enjoying volleyball, and cycling.
Joachim Schoss, Co-Founder (Board Director)
Joachim is a globally significant serial entrepreneur who grew up in Germany before moving to Switzerland. He is also a New Zealand resident and committed to helping founders who share his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation to make the world a better place for businesses and our communities. Joachim is a family man and loves to ride his bicycle across long distances in Europe, and in New Zealand with his children on Waiheke Island.