The Harlequin Group was established in 1996 by Peter Smithson, who had previously worked for the Department of Education. His interest in magic tricks combined with a sense of humour for which he was well known, he named the business “Harlequin.”
He saw an opportunity to provide a unique service to Principals and Business Managers, who were being given greater responsibility to manage their funding without the necessary training and/or support to perform this function in addition to their existing responsibilities. Our long term clients are those Principals and Business Managers who see us as an independent backup and a trusted advisor.
In 2009 Philip Rainford joined Harlequin, bringing with him a wealth of experience in both accounting and teaching. Philip took over the company as Director in 2014 when Peter retired. Harlequin then merged with Lifeplan Management Services who had been providing accounting services since 1981. This resulted in Harlequin establishing two separate departments: one for Victorian State Schools and one for Business and Bookkeeping Services - both of which are still overseen by Philip and his daughter, Mary-Ann Cerny.
