Acuity’s January–March 2025 cover story features Adelaide accountant Lauren Thiel CA. Starting her own accounting firm, The Real Thiel, has allowed this stand-up comedian and dancer to support other creatives, and grow their financial literacy.

We also welcome our new 2025 CA ANZ president, Grant Ellis FCA. His first letter in this issue acknowledges the work of past presidents and outlines how he intends to build on these foundations.

Australia has had open banking for some time, but engagement has been low and there’s a need for a reset. As New Zealand looks to launch its own open banking initiatives, we find out how their approach differs and why we should give open banking a fair go.

Accounting talent shortages are still an issue this year, so perhaps the CA ANZ Achiever Program is something for your firm to consider? CA ANZ helps match businesses with university students, so you can gauge their cultural fit and give them a taster of a career in accounting.

And who needs the share market when there are significant returns in trading LEGO sets? We find out more about how LEGO investing works.

Read all this and more in the January–March 2025 edition of Acuity.