Meet One of Australia’s Coolest Accountants
With long curls and a love of music, Anthony De Filippis proves how accountancy can be a way to follow your passions.
In Partnership with Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand
Close your eyes and imagine an accountant. Are they behind a desk? Crunching numbers? Wearing a blazer? Well, Anthony De Filippis is the complete opposite. He wears a denim jacket, not a blazer. And if given the choice, he’d opt for music over maths. In fact, his quirky edge is what makes him so good at his job.
De Filippis is a Chartered Accountant (CA) and the founder of Amplify 11, a boutique accounting firm with a creative twist. Anthony has successfully built his career not just by balancing the books, but by balancing passions.
In a recent interview with Rolling Stone AU/NZ, one of Australia’s coolest accountants shares how he carved his own path to ‘Make Epic Things Happen’ and inspire the next generation to see accounting for what it truly is.
The Truth About Accountants
When you think about it, accounting is the backbone of almost everything. Behind every major project – whether it’s a music festival, a film production, or even your favourite local bookshop or café – there’s an accountant making sure it all works financially.
According to a 2023 report by Chartered Accountants ANZ, demand for accountants remains strong across Australia and New Zealand.
Turns out, you don’t need to be a maths genius to be an accountant, either. Those who are great at the job are instead experts in strategy, problem-solving, and creativity. “You know, calculators exist – we’ve got to add the numbers up,” De Filippis admits. “But at the end of the day it’s really more about having those really solid relationships.”
“You have this rare opportunity to really get inside somebody’s financials, which directly impacts their life too.”
Image Credit: Michelle Grace Hunder
Combining Passions
When De Filippis isn’t helping bring his clients’ dreams to life as a financial expert, he’s happiest in his own space with his hands on a guitar.
“I’ve always been a quiet kid,” he says, recalling his younger years spent immersed in music. “Music was my way of being heard. It drove me, and that passion never went away. But at the same time, I knew I needed to find a sustainable way to support myself and others.”
That’s exactly what he’s done. With Amplify 11, De Filippis has created a firm that connects accounting with the creative industries, working with clients in music, film, and beyond.
“I think there’s this old-school idea that accountants are just mundane, boring people who sit behind a computer and harp on about specific tax rules and what you can’t do.”
For him, accounting is all about connecting with people and helping to actualise their ideas. “A client will come to me with nothing but an idea,” he says. “Whether it’s opening a recording studio or starting a small business, we help bring that to life.”
Especially in recent years, with the music industry struggling through COVID-19, rising costs of touring, and fewer people attending gigs, De Filippis has been a lifeline for artists, helping them stay financially afloat and continue pursuing their passions despite economic challenges.
Image Credit: Michelle Grace Hunder
Carving Your Own Path
When it comes to showing his personality through his work, De Filippis has never been afraid of being different, even in environments where it didn’t always seem welcome.
“Going into big accounting firms, I’ll never forget this one time,” he says. “I sat down to do a basic performance review with a manager, and he said to me, ‘You’ve got quite a large personality for a place like this.’ I just took on that feedback and said, ‘Yeah, I do.’”
But instead of dialling it back, De Filippis leaned in – true to his rock ‘n’ roll spirit, he decided to carve his own path. “I said to myself, I’m going to do this on my own. I’m going to start Amplify 11,” he says. The rest, as they say, is history.
“I’m working with really cool people. I’m seeing some really cool stuff.”
“I get to geek out and talk to people in recording studios about different consoles. I get to talk to guitar builders about different types of woods and electronics. I get to talk to artists about what they’re planning for upcoming tours.”
By embracing his individuality, he created a firm that reflects his passions and breaks away from the traditional mould, showing that accountants can be as dynamic and creative as the clients they serve.
Ready to turn your passions into a career? Watch our video with Anthony De Filippis and learn how you can Make Epic Things Happen with a career in accounting at MakeEpicThingsHappen.com.
