Every year, CA ANZ recognises two chartered accountants for their contribution to the public sector. The 2024 Emerging Leadership Award went to Ketvi Roopnarain CA, senior manager – finance business partnering at Transport for NSW, while the Outstanding Contribution to the Public Sector Award went to Natalia Cowley CA, general manager at Moree Plains Shire Council.

Ketvi Roopnarain: Paving the way for the largest infrastructure pipeline in NSW history

Bridges, tunnels and motorways aren’t just feats of engineering, they’re legacy. Built to last generations, they shape the way people move, live and connect.

“Behind every city-defining project is a web of financial decisions determining how far each taxpayer dollar can stretch,” says Roopnarain. “Guiding those decisions is both a privilege and a responsibility.”

At Transport for NSW, Roopnarain provides strategic finance partnering advice to more than 1000 technical experts tasked with delivering more than A$77 billion in infrastructure across metropolitan and regional New South Wales.

“When you’re building and maintaining assets of this magnitude, every dollar matters,” she says. “Deciding which specialised equipment yields the most reliable data, harnessing drone technology and AI to extend asset lifespans, building real-time dashboards that visualise workforce effort, championing mandatory climate-related financial disclosures – finance at this level is never routine.”

Far beyond spreadsheets, her work enables seamless journeys for millions of people by connecting the dots across the sector and influencing stakeholders across disciplines.

“The aim is to make transport journeys ‘invisible’ so people can focus on their destination,” she says. “Whether it’s walking to school, catching a ferry to work or choosing a home in a suburb for its inclusive mobility, seeing transformative projects come to life is incredibly rewarding.”

A portfolio career underpinned by financial literacy

The theme of financial literacy underpins every aspect of Roopnarain’s career, which spans three continents and multiple sectors.

“Clear, accessible financial insights are the cornerstone of sound decision making,” she says. “From starting as a graduate at Australia’s oldest life insurer and contributing to the Royal Commission response at the country’s first bank, to consulting for UK fintechs, before pivoting to public service, the guiding principle remains – optimise every dollar and simplify complex money decisions.”

Based in London during the COVID-19 pandemic, Roopnarain returned to Mauritius to support her family and launch OuiMoney, a social enterprise dedicated to financial inclusion.

Roopnarain also delivers workshops to CA candidates in Australia and New Zealand, guest lectures at Macquarie University and contributes financial insights to ABC Radio and Lifestyle.

“I was honoured to be recognised by CA ANZ as a future global leader in 2021,” she says. “Winning a Leadership in Government Award in Canberra last year was another landmark moment, reaffirming that a CA qualification unlocks diverse, impactful pathways.

“Work is never a solo endeavour. I owe my achievements to the incredible team – my cheer squad – who inspire me to build legacies that matter.”

Natalia Cowley: Creating a stable future for local councils

It has never been in Cowley’s nature to choose the easy path.

“I’ve made a career out of running toward the financial fires everyone else runs away from,” she says.

This quest for a challenge took her from auditing hedge funds in Bermuda and banking roles in New Zealand to Australia’s public service. Here, her role as director of corporate affairs and CFO at Central Coast Council presented an extraordinary test.

“I’d only been in the job for four days when the council revealed it was facing an A$89 million budget blowout, with an operating loss forecast to reach A$115 million,” she says. “The CEO said ‘Natalia, you didn’t sign up for this’ and made it easy for me to leave, but I locked in.”

She made the hardest calls of her career to stop the bleeding – cutting about 600 staff, reducing capital works, offloading A$60 million worth of council assets and increasing household rates. The result? One of the most dramatic financial turnarounds in recent local government history that restored solvency, rebuilt trust and set the stage for future investment.

City of Coffs Harbour transformation

In her next role as general manager of the City of Coffs Harbour, Cowley made necessary decisions once again, transforming a A$9.5 million deficit into a A$15.7 million surplus.

“When I arrived, I appointed the city’s first female CFO – a staff member who had already been turned down for the job several times,” she says. “I understood the reasons, but I could tell she just needed a bit of guidance and mentoring. Now she’s fantastic in the job and very well respected. I would never take on someone who isn’t ready, but I think you need to consider what people are capable of rather than just what they've already done.”

Cowley, against all odds, delivered the A$82 million Yarrila Place civic centre project under budget.

“Everyone expected the budget to blow out because we were facing the challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, including a procurement crisis,” she says.

The work continues

Today, as general manager of Moree Plains Shire Council, Cowley is once again charged with delivering community outcomes, financial sustainability and organisational stability.

“My accountancy training and CA designation gave me discipline to dig deep and the pattern recognition to see what others miss – not just in numbers, but in systems, processes and values,” she says. “That’s why I’m so proud and humbled to have been acknowledged by the peak accounting body with the Outstanding Contribution Award.”

Take away

Read more about CAs working in  building community infrastructure in a recent Acuity feature.