Date posted: 27/05/2024 5 min read

President's letter

Commitment, conduct and the next generation.

Quick take

  • I’m very pleased to see the new Chartered Accountant’s Commitment being recited at new member celebration events across Australia and New Zealand.
  • We’re also taking progressive steps to attract the next generation of talent to the profession.
  • We’re committed to showcasing the profession to the burgeoning global Indigenous business community, through our support for Te Hui Taketake a Te Puna Tahua Toa, the upcoming Global Indigenous Business Summit, being held in Rotorua in July.

I’m very pleased to see the new Chartered Accountant’s Commitment being recited at new member celebration events across Australia and New Zealand.

It takes the best of The Charge – which, for a long time, has been recited with pride at Australian new member events and adopted at some New Zealand ceremonies after the merger of our two bodies – and brings it into the 21st century, to clearly define that a commitment to professional ethics and the public interest is at the heart of what it means to be a chartered accountant.

I particularly like the last line, which says, ‘That, as a recipient of the best from the past, I will give my best to aid and shape tomorrow’s profession’.

There is so much from chartered accountants’ history and alumni that we must harness to strengthen the profession for our next generation. Having spoken recently with a number of members, many from small and medium practices, the importance of building trust is top of mind.

It’s important that we think clearly about bringing that last line to life. Because, make no mistake, tomorrow’s profession will be different from today’s.

We must be progressive in how we embed values such as trust, in the same way that we are innovative in enabling our members to use AI and advanced data analytics through our CPD or the CA Program, or delivering content through podcasts, online events and the other modern channels where our members operate.

The Going Further roadmap outlines this progressive approach, so I encourage you to join us in bringing it to life, along with the Chartered Accountant’s Commitment.

We’re also taking progressive steps to attract the next generation of talent to the profession. I was excited to get a small preview of a new campaign that will put our profession in front of young people in a way that hasn’t been done before – keep an eye out for that.

And, we’re committed to showcasing the profession to the burgeoning global Indigenous business community, through our support for Te Hui Taketake a Te Puna Tahua Toa, the upcoming Global
Indigenous Business Summit, being held in Rotorua in July.

Increasing representation of chartered accountants among Indigenous business decision-makers has the potential to help deliver profound economic and social transformation around the world. In turn, the profession has much to learn from long-standing practices of Indigenous peoples. There will be representatives from First Nations, Metis and Inuit tribes across Canada, Native American tribes across the US, and our own Aboriginal, Torres Strait Islander, Māori and Pacific Island members.

In preparation for it, I’m working on my mihi (greeting) in te reo Māori (Māori language) and can’t wait to engage and connect with the attendees at the hui (summit) and explore Rotorua.

The last few months of my presidency have been about ensuring CA ANZ respects the past and learns from it but also that we’re not afraid to be bold and progressive, because if we stand still, we will get overtaken. And I’m not about to let that happen on my watch.

Te Hui Taketake a Te Puna Tahua Toa – Global indigenous business summit

This international summit will showcase indigenous peoples and businesses from around the world, and how we are collectively growing the global indigenous economy.

The summit program features inspiring keynote speakers, panels, and group sessions along with numerous opportunities to bring international whānau together to impart knowledge, share cultural experiences in a stunning location, and explore our summit theme: Growing the Indigenous Economy Globally.

CA ANZ is delighted to be joining hosts Ngā Kaitatau Māori o Aotearoa (National Māori Accountants Network) as a key partner of this unique global event with a highly relevant focus. 

Register now