Behind every client relationship, piece of advice, and business success story is a team of talented people who make PKF Withers Tsang what it is.
In our People of PKF Withers Tsang series, we’re shining a spotlight on the individuals who bring their expertise, personality, and passion to our firm every day. From accountants and business advisors to specialists and support teams, these profiles offer a glimpse into the people behind the profession.
This time, we’re getting to know Satish Kathiriya, Client Manager in the Business Advisory team at PKF Withers Tsang.
Most people know Satish as an accountant. Fewer know that he’s also been involved in building a lab-grown diamond business. We asked Satish a few questions about his career, his experience in business and life outside PKF Withers Tsang. Here’s a little more about the person behind the numbers.
Tell me a little about the lab-grown diamond business.
LAGANI is a New Zealand fine jewellery brand specialising in custom-made lab-grown diamond jewellery. We work mostly on engagement rings and fine jewellery, taking clients from an initial design through to a finished, IGI-certified piece, with the same quality standard as traditional jewellers at a lower price point. It’s a different way of buying jewellery, a lot more say in what you end up with, built around the piece you actually want rather than what’s sitting in a display case.
What sparked your interest in getting involved?
I always wanted to build something of my own, and diamonds were already part of my story. My family has ties to the industry, so it wasn’t a world I was discovering for the first time, it was one I’d grown up around. What pulled me toward lab-grown diamonds specifically was the chance to take something I already loved and make it fairer. The same stone, the same fire, the same forever, just without the environmental cost, and without a price tag that puts it out of reach for most people. I wanted luxury to feel like something people could actually have, not just admire from a distance. That’s really the vision behind everything we’ve built.
What surprised you the most about building a business outside of accounting?
In accounting, the numbers are handed to you, and your job is to interpret them. Running a business flips that completely, you’re responsible for generating the numbers in the first place, and for everything that produces them: the marketing, the customer experience, the operations, the vendor relationships. When something isn’t working, there’s no report sitting on your desk telling you what’s wrong. You have to go and find the problem yourself, often across several parts of the business at once, before you even get to the interpreting. The analytical mindset from accounting is genuinely useful, but it’s only half the job. The other half is having the instinct to know where to look.
What’s the biggest lesson you’ve learnt as a business owner?
Revenue problems are usually funnel problems in disguise.
Has running a business changed the way you advise clients?
Yes. Before, I could tell a client their numbers were wrong. Now I understand why they went wrong because you’re juggling ten priorities at once and the bookkeeping is rarely the one keeping you up at night. Running a business myself has made me a better advisor because I’m no longer just reading the numbers, I understand the operational reality that produced them.
What’s one challenge you think almost every business owner experiences, regardless of industry?
Stepping back to see the business from a helicopter view. It’s easy to get so buried in the day-to-day operations that you lose sight of why you started the business in the first place.
If you could give someone starting a business one piece of advice, what would it be?
Just start. Your business plan will never be perfect, and things change as you progress through the journey. There are people out there who will help you succeed if you’re determined and want to make a difference in people’s lives.
Want to learn more about life at PKF Withers Tsang? Explore our latest team stories, insights, and career opportunities to see what makes our firm a place where people can grow, thrive, and build meaningful careers.