Finance in the family (Part 2): From highschool sweethearts to CAs

Caylynne Fourie 09 September 2020

Brett and Candice Tromp went the CA route together, believing the qualification would open many doors.

These CFOs have ignored the theory that "opposites attract" in choosing their life partners and have opted for like-minded individuals who have made their own way in the field of finance. Together, these couples have grown as leaders, at home and in business.

Brett and Candice Tromp met in high school when she was 16 and he was 17. Brett played hockey with Candice’s brother and took an interest in her after one of their hockey matches. After dating for six years, they got married.

Both Candice and Brett believed that the CA route could open up many doors for them, whether it be in audit, in corporate, or running their own businesses. “When we were young, we always loved the idea of travelling and thought that going the CA route would give us these opportunities,” Candice says.

Brett currently serves as the CFO of Discovery Health and is responsible for ensuring the company can provide for its members during Covid-19 by adapting and reviewing budgets and expenses to ensure it can pivot quickly if needed.

Candice left the corporate world behind to look after their twin boys, Matt and Josh (15) and daughter, Christin (9). “It has been challenging over the last three months being a Grade 3 teacher,” she says.

Both Brett and Candice provide support for two underprivileged schools, helping them with fundraising and sourcing other essentials. “Over the last four months we have been fundraising for families that do not have jobs and aren’t receiving a grant to help them with food,” Candice says.

To stay balanced and focused, they both try to exercise. “I try to take some time to switch off from the kids and demands of the day,” says Candice. When he’s not playing golf, Brett prays and reads Christian literature. “It focuses my mind on what’s really important in life to me,” he says.

They love to travel together and have been overseas many times. “Our family believes in memories above materialism,” Candice says. In the last year, their boys have developed a love for golf, so Brett will play with them while Candice and Christin walk the dogs.

At this stage, Matt and Josh are focused on becoming professional cricketers, and although they are definitely bright and “do better than their parents ever did at school”, Brett and Candice aren’t sure whether either of their sons will be pursuing a CA career. “Christin is young, but who knows, maybe we will get one CA out of the three of them,” Candice says.

Caylynne Fourie

Caylynne Fourie is the managing editor at CFO South Africa. She has been delivering excellent content to the CFO community in a full-time capacity since March 2019, and as a freelancer for a year before that. She enjoys engaging with finance professionals and telling their stories through the variety of media in the CFO South Africa stables, including the CFO.co.za website, CFO Magazine, webinars, podcasts and other virtual events.