As I head into the final quarter of my presidential term, I’ve reflected on one of the greatest privileges of this role: meeting members, hearing their stories and carrying their perspectives into the CA ANZ board and council.

Whether congratulating a new member, recognising a new fellow or meeting members marking 40, 50 or more years in the profession, I continue to be struck by the quality of people who make up our membership. Everywhere I visit, I see chartered accountants delivering the very best of our profession through leadership, service, integrity and impact.

Over recent months, my role has taken me to the UK, Hong Kong, Singapore and Malaysia. While every region is different, one thing is remarkably consistent: the strength and portability of the CA designation.

As in Australia and New Zealand, international members are using the skills and training available through CA ANZ to help navigate AI, sustainability, and other emerging risks and opportunities.

The conversations reinforced something I’ve said throughout my presidency: the future belongs to professionals who can combine technology with the human strengths of judgement, ethics and critical thinking. Chartered accountants are uniquely placed to do exactly that.

Those visits also highlighted the diversity of careers our designation enables. Again and again, I met members whose careers have taken them into leadership, governance, entrepreneurship, policy, technology and sustainability. We can also see this in the results of our member satisfaction survey, which highlights member pride in the CA designation. The opportunities it unlocks continue to broaden.

Closer to home, I was delighted to attend the Accounting & Finance Association in Australia and New Zealand‘s (AFAANZ) 2026 conference in Melbourne. The theme, Inspiring Accounting Minds, is a timely reminder that our profession’s future depends on inspiring curiosity, capability and confidence in the next generation. Congratulations also to the winners of the inaugural CA ANZ Inspiring Minds Awards and to everyone working to show students what a CA career can offer.

One of the things I’ve come to appreciate most as president is the breadth of support available to members. We often see the major events, advocacy and award programs, but there is also an enormous amount of work taking place every day through regional councils, member groups, committees, technical resources, mentoring programs and local networks.

My message is simple: make the most of your membership. Connect with your local CA community. Attend an event. Reach out to your regional team. And ensure you have opted into our communications. There is a tremendous amount on offer.

If there’s one takeaway from this year, it’s that we are a global profession with strong local communities and that our profession is strongest when members invest in each other. Long may those communities continue to thrive.