It might take him a while to restore a car, but our Australian-based Senior Accounts Manager Steve Kafritsas is always in top gear for his customers. Get to know Steve as part of our ongoing series  Faces of Spotlight, where we shine a spotlight on the hard-working members of our team. 

Steve with his wife Helen, twin daughters Alyssa and Tyra, and son Noah.

Go on, tell us a bit about yourself: I’m Australian born and raised, and grew up in the world's most liveable city: Melbourne. I grew up obsessed with sports, and was very active until a football injury slowed me down. Nowadays I like being a spectator, sitting on the sidelines with my wife Helen, cheering our 11 year-old twin girls Alyssa and Tyra when they play netball. 

Along with our 7 year-old boy Noah, we like to travel regularly, taking family trips to Fiji, and last year venturing a bit further to Thailand and Greece. At home, we are all passionate Richmond supporters, and try to attend as many AFL games as we can. Music is another passion of mine, and over the years I have amassed a collection of old ‘70s & ‘80s vinyl. I’m also a keen car enthusiast, and have spent the last 20 years restoring an old Ford that I purchased for $100!

"A typical day consists of meetings/demonstrations, either on-site or via Zoom, giving accountants and advisors the confidence to run management reports and forecasts using our software"

What do you do at Spotlight Reporting? I’m a Senior Account Manager, working closely with accountants and bookkeepers in Victoria, Tasmania and South Australia, showing them the benefits that Spotlight Reporting can have on both their business and their clients. A typical day consists of meetings/demonstrations, either on-site or via Zoom, giving accountants and advisors the confidence to run management reports and forecasts using our software.

"Having previously worked at Xero, it was a great feeling being part of that early growth, and I felt that Spotlight was on the same path."

What attracted you to come and work for Spotlight Reporting and what were you doing beforehand? I wanted to work for a SaaS company that was a leader in the industry, but also still a relatively small start up. Spotlight Reporting ticked all of the boxes, as it was (and still is) the number one reporting and forecasting add-on in the Xero ecosystem. Having previously worked at Xero, it was a great feeling being part of that early growth, and I felt that Spotlight was on the same path. It was also a very seamless progression, because many of the firms that I was working with had transitioned to the cloud and had an appetite for advisory. I liked that I could continue the relationships that I had formed, having spent many years working with accountants and bookkeepers.

What's the best part of your job? The best part of my job is hearing first-hand the impact our software is having on advisors and their clients. Using our software, our advisors are able to produce management reports and forecasts more efficiently, giving them more time to collaborate with their clients. The direct businesses are able to see their numbers and KPI’s with more clarity, which leads to more actionable insights.

Tell us about your favourite customer experience so far. This would have to be a past customer that left us in 2013, who looked into all the other reporting platforms, and eventually came back to us in 2017. This happened as a result of me reaching out to them. They didn’t realise how much development had gone into our product, and how much it had changed over the years. They are now power users, and love the ease of use, and the flexibility of the forecasting!

Steve's 1965 Mk1 Cortina, before and after its restoration

ANSWER QUICKLY:

Best road trip
Five weeks in Greece in 2019, experiencing amazing beaches, restaurants, and hospitality

The first album you ever owned
Michael Jackson – Thriller

The last thing you binge-watched on Netflix
Narcos

Your very first paying job
Hungry Jack's

iPhone or Android
Android

Most famous person you’ve met
Curtis Stone – Celebrity Chef

Favourite movie of 2019
Jumanji – The Next Level

Something that makes you feel old
My kids

When you need to save money, what’s the first thing you cut
I would usually shop around for better interest rates :-) 
I'd also look at my insurances and bills (boring)

Household chore you hate the most
The ones that my wife asks me to do!

Something no one knows about you
I was a DJ for 10 years

Get in touch with Steve: steve@spotlightreporting.com