The old saying, ‘May you live in interesting times,’ certainly resonates this year, equally as a blessing and a curse. It’s particularly true for our members in the northern and eastern regions of New Zealand’s North Island, who have been hit hard by the flooding and landslides caused by Cyclone Gabrielle. The impact has been devastating, particularly in Hawke’s Bay, and both CA ANZ and the wider chartered accountant community are right behind our members there.

The political landscape may be related to a sense of uncertainty, being less than a year into the Labor Australian Government and a few months out from an election in New Zealand.

But while anyone can throw out a political prediction, when it comes to the numbers, CAs have a clear edge in providing clarity to their organisations and communities. We have the skill set to look behind the numbers and provide direction for planning and action.

“CAs have a clear edge in providing clarity to their organisations and communities. We have the skill set to look behind the numbers and provide direction for planning and action.”

It’s a skill set we can’t take for granted. We must continue to build on it. That’s why this edition of Acuity gives you a forward look at the most exciting changes and opportunities ahead of us, and the trailblazers who are leading in and around our profession.

One area is reporting. You only have to look at reporting season results to see the certainty that CAs and finance professionals provide globally.

With Earth Day 2023 and National Reconciliation Week, it’s time to think about the role we as CAs can play in driving better environmental, social and cultural outcomes, and non-financial reporting opportunities.

On the environmental front, every new severe weather event heightens public demand for better environmental reporting, and strong assurance of new disclosures to address greenwashing. It’s a conversation that grows with every extreme weather event.

Of course, CAs are primed to act and it’s great to see CA ANZ providing resources for us to upskill in these areas. The new micro courses in sustainability and ethics (following on from data analytics) hit the right note – two to six hours of self-paced learning to help put members in the driver’s seat.

CA ANZ’s new Quality Management toolkit and Sustainability Assurance playbook are also great entry points. The articles in this edition will no doubt get you thinking about where you can make an impact with these resources.

Of course, another area of change that has hit the headlines is artificial intelligence (AI) and ChatGPT. If you haven’t investigated this technology, you should, because it’s fascinating.

Our profession has an advantage because we’ve been through technological upheaval and we’ve harnessed it to our advantage. Our joint paper with ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), Ethics for Sustainable AI Adoption: Connecting AI and ESG, covers just some opportunities for our profession in AI.

This adaptive mindset is something our new FCAs and Life Members, celebrated in this edition, have carried throughout their careers.

All will have seen huge change in their time and capitalised on it for the benefit of their organisations, clients and communities. Congratulations to all of these members: your honours are well deserved.