Meet Afirmo!
Afirmo is on a journey that no company has taken before!
Our mission is to make the world a better place for small businesses. We take the complexity out of starting and building a business for small business owners anywhere in the world, starting in New Zealand where the founders are based.
We know business ownership is stressful and complex, even in highly developed countries. Many people set up in business without the pre-requisite knowledge of what to do, or where to go for help.
There are many apps and support-type businesses aimed at small business, but Afirmo is the first company to put all these support services in one app to help small businesses set up and thrive.
We don’t just take care of tax or invoicing; we integrate with other useful tools on the Afirmo app. Our modular approach means Afirmo customers can cherry pick what Afirmo tools they need and when they need them. This allows Afirmo to take data from one module and share it with another to reduce data entry and share valuable insights.
Many of Afirmo’s tools are free and easily accessible. We don’t want anyone to miss out.
We set the business up in May 2020 and it is quickly growing, meeting the needs of aspiring, budding new Kiwi small business owners, along with more seasoned, been-in-it-for-a-while entrepreneurs.
Our team is driven by our goal – to make small business ownership as straightforward as possible – Afirmo’s job is to take the stress out of your job of setting up and running your business.
Meet the Directors and Founders:
The diversity of Afirmo’s directors and founders is like the diversity of all our team members. Our team come from all over the world but live and have strong ties with New Zealand.
Introducing us personally:
Robert Rolls, Founder and CEO (Chief Executive Officer)
Rob is from the United Kingdom, an accountant by profession, he moved into banking roles in London before relocating to New Zealand in 2003. He has also set up a number of start-ups, mainly in the tech space. Since arriving in New Zealand, he ran and co-owned the Freeparking group. This blend of finance and technology skills is at the forefront of the vision to create Afirmo. When Rob is not at the helm of Afirmo, he loves time with his children. Rob lives on Waiheke and loves to explore the various coastal walkways that wind around the island and is a committed supporter of Waiheke’s local businesses. When he has the opportunity to put his feet up, he loves to watch and support the All Blacks in play.
Mary Fitzgerald, Co-Founder and CCO (Chief Communications Officer)
Mary is a New Zealander, and a qualified journalist having worked with well-known household publications in New Zealand. Mary was the national marketing manager in a family-owned business in the medical sector for a decade before moving into her passion of journalism. Her skills learned from many years in marketing and journalism are brought into Afirmo in our customer communications. Mary is curious by nature and loves reading and learning and finding new ways of making things happen. Family is at the core of Mary’s life, so she understands the challenging balance many women face in being in business and the unpaid work involved in being the central manager of all things in the family.
For fun Mary loves being surrounded by friends and family, she loves to cook and entertain. Meditation and exercise and long island walks are at times aspirational, but always enjoyed when she gets the time to stop and enjoy these simple pleasures.
Ertan Sarikaya, Co-Founder and CTO (Chief Technology Officer)
Ertan set up and managed a successful hosting, cloud, and data center business and pioneered the internet services development in his home country of Turkey. He leads the ongoing development and build of the Afirmo app, with great support from our technical team.
When not working, Ertan enjoys having time with family, and having fun with his daughters. He enjoys exploring new places, taking part in city tours, exploring beaches and bush walks, enjoying volleyball, and cycling.
Joachim Schoss, Co-Founder (Board Director)
Joachim is a globally significant serial entrepreneur who grew up in Germany before moving to Switzerland. He is also a New Zealand resident and committed to helping founders who share his passion for entrepreneurship and innovation to make the world a better place for businesses and our communities. Joachim is a family man and loves to ride his bicycle across long distances in Europe, and in New Zealand with his children on Waiheke Island.
Keen to come on board as an Afirmo team member?
Afirmo is growing and so is our Team.
We’re a close team of business experts, accountants and developers working in a fast-paced, interactive, positive environment. The way our team works has changed over the last couple of years, and we’re open to the option of remote and hybrid working.
Afirmo is growing and we want you to grow with us. We’ll support you in your own career development while you use your skills to support us to grow Afirmo in New Zealand and around the world.
Media Enquiries
Afirmo welcomes interest from journalists – connect with us here and we will put you in touch with the right Afirmo team member.
