As we move into the final quarter of 2022, I can’t help but become a little reflective of all that has been achieved this year – and of the challenges and opportunities that lie ahead.

The president’s role is varied, but one of the most important and rewarding things we do is to engage with you, our members, to celebrate your chartered accountant (CA) milestone moments, listen to your feedback and perspectives and share these with the CA ANZ Board and management team.

This year, I was thankful to have many conversations with members in person, as we turned the COVID-19 corner and headed back to face-to-face events and meetings.

These conversations gave me an even stronger appreciation of the strengths, diversity and values of our members and the opportunities available to CA ANZ to deliver on our aspirations for a world-class member experience.

Diverse career opportunities

Coming into this year I had two significant focus areas. The first was to showcase the diverse career opportunities the CA designation offers. The second was to highlight the important role we all play in creating inclusive and supportive workplaces where members can enjoy fulfilling and rewarding careers.

I have seen first-hand how the skills, capabilities and experiences of a chartered accountant can play a role in addressing bigger global challenges, such as climate change, sustainability, modern-slavery and diversity, equity and inclusion.

To that end, it has been pleasing this year to see CA ANZ committing to bold advocacy in many areas.

From our recent powerful submission on the International Sustainability Standards Board’s (ISSB) incoming climate and sustainability standards, to a renewed focus on modern slavery, guidance on how CAs and small practices can embed sustainability in their operations, and our groundbreaking gender pay gap playbook and diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) strategy, the member voice and experience has been deeply embedded at every step.

Members first

Member stories shared in Acuity during the year, including those about Amanda Gore CA (Feb/March 2022), Andrew Smith CA (Apr/May 2022) and Bruce Gilkison FCA (Aug/Sep 2022), highlight just some of the contributions our members are making in these areas. Their career stories are just a few examples of the diverse career opportunities that the CA designation provides, a career that can literally take you anywhere.

We have much to be proud of as a profession and as we look to the future, an even bigger opportunity to make a difference in the communities in which we live and work.