The first anniversary of CA ANZ’s strategy to 2030 is fast approaching. As you move into this busy period, our focus remains firmly on delivering progress for you and the profession.

In an increasingly interconnected world, and with many members overseas, we continue to strengthen our international influence. Recently, I hosted global leaders of the profession in Sydney, including the International Federation of Accountants president Jean Bouquot. The meetings brought together the Forum of Firms, chaired by Fiona Campbell FCA, which connects global networks on audit quality, and the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), representing more than 1.4 million accountants worldwide. These discussions help ensure our members’ interests are represented at the highest levels of global decision making.

Equally at the top of my agenda is representing the profession as a trusted adviser to business and government on both sides of the Tasman. In Australia, our team continues to engage closely with relevant ministers. More recently, with senior leaders, I appeared before the Parliamentary Joint Committee on Corporations and Financial Services to outline the important role CA ANZ plays as a co-regulator. The upcoming Australian Budget presents an opportunity to advance productivity-enhancing reforms, including those outlined in our 2026 Budget Submission.

In New Zealand, we are actively engaged ahead of the election with a set of pre-election priorities that include measures to strengthen tax base sustainability and improve retirement settings.

I also recognise the volume of regulatory and reporting change coming your way. Starting 1 July, Australian members will face new anti-money laundering and counterterrorism financing requirements, similar to those managed by New Zealand members since 2018. In addition to supporting AUSTRAC’s AML/CTF starter kits for smaller businesses, we are providing you with updates on social media, our website and sharing knowledge sessions. Look out for the AML/CTF session at our Accounting and Audit Conferences in May.

Under our strategic focus area ‘Leading the way in sustainability’, we are already providing tools, insights and tailored learning to support you. We launched our CA ANZ Sustainability Playbook, climate disclosures certificate and held our inaugural Sustainability Conference in late 2025 to help you build capacity in this important space. And, as the first reports under Australia’s new climate-related disclosures regime are published, we will be monitoring them for helpful insights. I encourage you to explore the CA ANZ Sustainability Resource Centre, designed specifically for practitioners and finance leaders. AI adoption remains a core priority too. We are expanding our suite of AI-powered learning, new micro courses and practical tools to help you embed AI safely, responsibly and productively. Our CA ANZ AI Resource Centre is a great place to find these resources and support your work as an ethical data guardian.

Strengthening the pipeline of future talent is also vital. Our CA Fundamentals pathway, to help employers attract, develop and retain high school graduates, is receiving strong support, and our ‘Make Epic Things Happen’ campaign and high school toolkit help showcase the breadth of careers in the profession. Soon, we will launch our CA ANZ Student Member Portal, ‘Next CA’, significantly improving the experience for future CAs.

I look forward to seeing many of you at CEO Connect events – please keep an eye out for an invitation from your regional manager. Thank you, as always, for the work you do and for the trust you place in CA ANZ.