BUILD THE ACCOUNTING FIRM OF YOUR DREAMS
Your Tom
Our Angela
The Back Room Difference
The Back Room is the answer to finding more time and freedom to take your accounting practice further.
Accountants across the globe use The Back Room’s offshore talent and support to grow, develop and elevate staff, reach their goals faster, and diversify services.
To be clear, this isn’t about outsourcing work to a faceless team in another time zone. Our model is based on long term relationships, supporting talent that works as an extension of your team, and a commitment to making big positive shifts in your business.
Time and freedom will take you further. Let’s get them working for you together.
Our Backstory
Our Founders: Driven by Purpose and Guided by Values
The Back Room was the brain child of brothers Wayne and Scott Findlay in 2017. Wayne and Scott are proud of their rural heritage in the deep south of New Zealand (Tuatapere) where they gained a strong work ethic and resourcefulness. Wayne and Scott built a successful accounting firm together (formerly called Findlay & Co, now Findlay Sidekick) in Wanaka, New Zealand.
Findlay & Co was started by Wayne in 2002 and they became recognised as industry leaders in New Zealand, including many Xero awards, for their innovative and proactive approach with clients. Early adopters of the cloud, they were ready to look at outsourcing options to progress their business’ expansion.
On a training trip to the Philippines, Wayne met Mark Stables. Wayne and Scott had previously thought about setting up their own outsourcing business but faced a lot of challenges. But, with Mark’s experience on the ground in the Philippines, backing Wayne and Scott’s accounting nous, they were primed to set up The Back Room.
From the beginning they wanted The Back Room to be Offshoring rather than an Outsourcing business- you can find out more about the difference here. They have since created a first-class culture and working environment. They, and the company, are still guided by their purpose: Nurture, Grow, Delight.
Wayne and Scott have always enjoyed seeing their teams and clients thrive. With The Back Room, Filipinos and Colombians can gain new career opportunities, plus they enjoy a fantastic working relationship with The Back Room’s clients around the globe. The Back Room continues today to help clients find freedom to build the business and lifestyle they dream of.
Meet The Leadership Team
Wayne Findlay
CEO, Founder
Wayne Findlay is the founding director of both The Back Room and Findlay & Co Chartered Accountants. With a big vision and a passion for information technology, Wayne likes to explore new software and technology and drives the adoption of innovation in the business. A family man, Wayne imparts his love of the outdoors and sport on his two children and is often seen going to work on his bike preferring Lycra to a suit.
Scott Findlay
Director of Operations, Founder
Scott is a director at The Back Room and co-owner of the former Findlay & Co Chartered Accountants. Scott is known for his authentic, pragmatism, helping clients understand how to make their business' hum. He's passionate about streamlining his customers' systems, driving profit and helping his clients reach their goals.
Marvin Galang
Director of Operations
(North America)
Marvin is our man in the hot seat in the US. Having spent a large part of his professional career deep in US accounting and tax, he is a domain expert and understands how accounting firms can thrive in tough markets.
Tessa Douglas
Director of Business Growth
Tessa is on a mission to help The Back Room develop and grow, helping clients open doors to new possibilities and offshore teams develop and thrive. Through her experience at Xero and BDO she has an inside-out understanding of accounting firms and operating global teams.
Martyn Taylor
Chief Operating Officer
Martyn ensures The Back Room is a well oiled machine. He's got the knack for balancing the day to day needs of the company while exploring new products/services and markets so The Back Room continues to grow and thrive- for the benefit of our amazing staff and clients.
Miguel Serrano
Director of Training & Development
Miguel is the brains behind training and development programs in The Back Room – the pillars of our successful offshoring model. As CPA, Miguel’s mission is to deliver the offshoring platform for accountants to collaborate beyond the barriers of the traditional workplace.
Alan Herrera
Country Manager Philippines
Alan manages The Back Room talent based in the Philippines, taking care of all HR functions, including recruitment, training, and client matching. His knowledge of the US market is broad and deep, having worked for US accounting firms to help them scale using offshore teams in the Philippines.
Absalon "Ram" Bardos
Director of Finance
Ram is the financial engine of Back Room. With unmatched expertise in finance, he's not just handling numbers—he's driving the strategy that fuels our growth. Ram’s vision ensures we’re on a strong financial path, advancing both our team and clients.
This could be you!
Join us and find out what it's like to be part of a culture that encourages growth and fun.
Meet the Operations Team
Laelyn Limpin
Training & Development Manager
Laelyn heads up training and development, ensuring our offshore professionals are on the ball and know everything they must to get the job done. She’s on a mission to raise the professional standard of the offshoring industry through continuous upskilling and improvement.
Erzia Buluag
Marketing Manager
Erzia loves marketing, new ideas, finding magic in data, and trying new tools. She proved her mettle in advertising and media – and brings a sharp eye to dynamic campaigns for The Back Room.
Maynard Pineda
IT & Cybersecurity Manager
Maynard keeps our systems and digital assets safe and secure, managing The Back Room's technical infrastructure and security policies and procedures. He also brings a broader focus to technology and how it can be used to improve client experience, and productivity, and facilitate growth.
Gretchen Buenavista
Systems & Process Automation Manager
Gretchen focuses on making things run smoother and more efficient for everyone in the company. Her particular focus includes processes, automation, and support to help The Back Room – and our clients – achieve big audacious goals.
Mae Carlos
Human Resource & Office Manager
Mae loves people – but that doesn’t mean she’s a pushover. Fostering collaboration is tough work, and just as Mae addresses the so-called soft elements of culture, she also ensures strict compliance with labor laws, employment standards, and industry regulations.
Carla Pucut
Recruitment & Talent Acquisition Manager
Carla oversees The Back Room’s recruitment practices to deliver an outstanding experience for both clients and applicants. She’s on a mission to transform lives through job offers and propel our clients to better things.
Yvette Gatus
Head of Account Management
Yvette is focused on developing productive relationships between our clients and staff at The Back Room. She oversees a team of account managers to ensure seamless service delivery and exceptional client and employee satisfaction.
Anj Herrera
Operations - Admin Manager
Anj oversees the administration, purchasing, and facility teams at The Back Room. She is a whizz at building relationships with staff, clients, and various departments to ensure that The Back Room's facilities are in tip-top condition.
Juan Camilo Arce
Operations Manager - Colombia
Juan is responsible for keeping our operations in Colombia running smoothly. He brings his knowledge of project management, marketing, and business development in order to ensure our COL division maintains the same quality standards as the rest of our operations worldwide.
This could be you!
Join us and find out what it's like to be part of a culture that encourages growth and fun.
Want to take your career to the next level and join The Back Room?
The Certification Body of BARR Certifications LLC, certifies that The Back Room Ltd. operates an information security management system (ISMS) that conforms to the requirements stated In the standard: 1S0/IEC 27001:2013