Forces including emerging technologies, data analytics, COVID-19 and global economic uncertainty are disrupting many well-established professions, including accounting.

These key trends and more will be explored by an impressive line-up of speakers at the annual Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand Accounting and Audit Conferences – essential for professionals wanting to stay up to date on the latest developments affecting them and their clients.

Accounting Conference 2021: 18 May

At the Chartered Accountants ANZ Accounting Conference on 18 May 2021, Oxford University economist, TED speaker and co-author of The Future of the Professions and A World Without Work, Daniel Susskind, will delve into the future of work.

Susskind’s valuable insights into the current economic and technological opportunities, threats and failings, will be critical to understanding the impact they will have on wider society and business.

Renowned strategy expert John Hale will look at the “Strategic Accountant” and how CAs can reimagine their firm, their firm’s services and their career path. This session reveals why accountants should learn to juggle and ensure their clients do the same.

Chartered Accountants ANZ reporting and assurance leader, Amir Ghandar FCA, will lead an informative panel session into the future of financial and non-financial reporting.

An expert panel will discuss how the finance function is responding to the latest developments in financial reporting, digital and integrated reporting, including managing stakeholder trust. It’s a chance for professionals to learn about the value creation processes and what the future holds for sustainability reporting.

Analysing a business’s data can provide valuable insights that drive better business decision-making. A session on Microsoft’s Power BI analytics explains how data can be leveraged for management accounting reports, financial statements, internal audit and more.

Participants will learn how Power BI can connect to multiple sources of data and produce interactive reports that are easily shared.

Audit Conference 2021: 11 May

The assurance profession is no less affected by the forces of technology and COVID-19 than the broader accounting profession. This year’s Audit Conference on 11 May will equip auditors with what they need for 2021 and beyond.

Merilyn Gwan, partner and head of national assurance quality at Grant Thornton, Doug Niven FCA, chief accountant of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission (ASIC) and Chartered Accountants ANZ reporting and assurance leader Amir Ghandar FCA will open the conference with a discussion on how the profession continues to evolve during a time of international and local scrutiny, and while navigating the pandemic.

Melville Yates, director of reporting and red tape reduction at the Australian Charities and Not-for-profits Commission (ACNC), will speak about changes to the charities sector.

Yates will outline ACNC best practice financial disclosure guidance, considerations and impacts on charities and not-for-profits from the recent changes to the special purpose reporting framework, and progress on red tape reduction as well as an update on the ACNC legislative review.

Auditors of self-managed superannuation funds (SMSFs) won’t want to miss the session on the Australian Taxation Office’s (ATO’s) approach to compliance.

ATO director Kellie Grant will explore COVID-19’s impacts on SMSF audits, the application of the independence standards for SMSF audits, and the ATO’s compliance findings so far for 2020-21.

Book your place now