These individuals work in everything from bluechip, listed companies to tech start-ups, from smaller practices to Big Four firms. Members employed in government and the not-for-profit sector are also represented. Qualities they share include exceptional leadership, innovation and a commitment to the CA ANZ Code of Ethics and Professional Standards.

On top of their 'day jobs' many also make outstanding contributions to their communities. So meet these potential leaders of the future, who are taking our profession in bold new directions.

Tim Austin CA

Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, project manager
Other roles: University of Melbourne, auditing tutor
Age: 29

• Austin has led the AUASB's project on the use of technology in audits, including data analytics.
• He also works to inspire future auditors in his role as a tutor at the University of Melbourne.

"Everyone needs to embrace technology and it's our role at the standards board to make sure that people have permission to do that."

The regulation of the audit profession may be in the spotlight as the subject of a parliamentary inquiry in Australia, but Tim Austin CA, project manager at the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB), is optimistic about the future.

"There are ethical standards that sit behind the role of audit," Austin says. "I think [auditors] are generally good at assessing risks and putting in appropriate safeguards for independence. If the market is perceiving a lack of independence, then maybe there needs to be a shift in communication, but I'm not sure what that looks like."

For the past two years, the Melbourne-based Austin has led the AUASB's project on the use of technology in audits, including data analytics.

"Everyone needs to embrace technology and it's our role at the standards board to make sure that people have permission to do that," he explains. "We are building a bridge between the standards and technology."

He is also working to inspire the next generation of auditors in his role as an auditing and assurance tutor at the University of Melbourne.

"One piece of advice I always give is, if you are not sure what you want to do, audit is a really good place to start because you see so many different ways of doing things and so many types of industries."

Amanda Baldwin CA

Discovery Parks, general manager investments
Other roles: CA ANZ Accredited Business Valuation Specialist; SA Business Valuation Specialist Community member; Caravan Industry Association of Australia, future leaders committee member and research and mentoring project team leader; Clovercrest Baptist Church, constitution review committee member
Age: 30

• She says her experience as an insolvency practitioner and knowing how to sell assets as a going concern has given her skills on the buy side, too.
• In 2019, she won a grant to study negotiation and competitive decision-making at Harvard Business School.

"I'm keen to improve my skills so I can take a much bigger role in negotiations to finalise the deal. As a young female, it's rare to be on the front line of these negotiations."

Amanda Baldwin CA has a A$60 million annual budget to buy property and develop Australian caravan park sites to add to Adelaide-based Discovery Parks' A$1 billion market value. As general manager investments, Baldwin has helped build Australia's largest holiday park owner, including advising on a hostile takeover of Aspen Parks Property Fund in 2015, which doubled Discovery's portfolio overnight.

The former McGrathNicol insolvency practitioner says knowing how to sell assets as a going concern has given her strategic planning skills on the buy side. Baldwin drew on her valuation skills for the Aspen acquisition. After undertaking due diligence a year earlier, she was instrumental in Discovery's winning bid.

"Insolvency has given me a greater appreciation of how to perform due diligence," she explains. "You take a role in the business and you learn quickly what that business needs to operate profitably… the process highlights what you need to look for to extract value."

In 2019, Baldwin won a grant to study negotiation and competitive decision-making at Harvard Business School.

Sarah Bell CA

Weta Digital, accountant
Other roles: CA ANZ Wellington Regional Councillor
Age: 31

• At Weta Digital, Bell works across different countries and jurisdictions, and manages reporting for the company's large research and development team. .
• Her financial management as the volunteer treasurer at Wellington Rape Crisis has allowed them to increase the number of counsellors.

"As an accountant, it can be scary to think of the months and months of extremely hard work by our creative teams, and the sheer cost of that, for a few minutes of screen time."

The movie industry isn't usually the first place accountants look when launching their careers. But Sarah Bell CA, an accountant with Academy Award-winning visual effects company Weta Digital, says managing the vast resources that go into moviemaking is an epic task.

"From an accountant's point of view, it can be scary to think of the months and months of extremely hard work by our creative teams and the sheer cost of that for a few minutes of screen time. But it's really wonderful to see the finished result come together and to see what an impact it can have on the films we work on,' Bell says.

Her job entails working across different countries and jurisdictions, and also managing reporting for the company's large research and development team.

Bell is also involved with a wide range of extracurricular commitments, including treasurer at volunteer network Film for Change and director at social enterprise Thank You Payroll.

She is also the treasurer at Wellington Rape Crisis, a support group for survivors of rape and sexual abuse. With careful financial management, she has helped the organisation scale up its number of counsellors and counselling rooms and shrink its waiting list to the smallest it's ever been.

"One of the challenges for not-for-profits is their finances," Bell says. "It's a tight market for a lot of them. Having someone with some acumen around planning, budgeting and forecasting is invaluable."

Katie Bryan CA

Propeller Advisory, managing director
Other roles: Bond Alumni Melbourne Committee, treasurer; Strength over Cancer, treasurer; Ladies who Ledger, founder
Age: 32

• Propeller Advisory is experiencing fast growth from targeting small, female-led creative businesses.
• Cloud accounting has allowed Bryan to set up a remote working environment for her staff.

"Because [women] often run creative businesses, many male accountants don't take them seriously, thinking it's just a side hustle. That's a huge missed opportunity."

Offering accounting advice from a beach in Bali is a real possibility for Katie Bryan CA and her Propeller Advisory team, who have forged an accounting practice with true flexibility and understanding.

The business is experiencing rapid growth from treating small, female-led creative businesses as serious enterprises.

"Women tend to go through life with more self-doubt than men do," says Bryan, managing director of Propeller Advisory. "And because they often run creative businesses, many male accountants don't take them seriously, thinking it's just a side hustle. That's a huge missed opportunity."

A respect for women's experience and ambition, and an understanding that some women have never learned the corporate jargon of big business, allows Bryan's practice to offer financial education and accounting insight.

Cloud accounting has allowed Melbourne-based Bryan to set up a remote working environment for her staff, who can build schedules that suit their families and lifestyles.

"Our clients can run their business while out to lunch or from anywhere." she says. "I came up through the accounting industry and couldn't really figure out how I could have a family and excel the way I wanted to. So I'm hoping to grow big enough to provide time for families, build an internal crèche, that sort of thing."

Aaron Cordy CA

LSH Auto Australia, CFO
Age: 33

• Cordy has combined his love of accounting with his love of cars to succeed in his dream job.
• As CFO, he has been working on improving his soft skills and streamlining the company’s reporting systems.

"I often tell people that if you want to be an accountant, it's good to focus on an area that you're passionate about because it helps bring the numbers to life."

A desire to combine his two great passions – numbers and cars – has led Aaron Cordy CA to his dream job. "I'm a car nut," he says. "I often tell people that if you want to be an accountant, it's good to focus on an area that you're passionate about because it helps bring the numbers to life."

Cordy is CFO of the country's largest Mercedes-Benz dealer group, LSH Auto Australia. He was promoted to the role in November 2018 and is responsible for the finances of the A$850 million turnover business.

The transition from group financial controller to CFO required finetuning his soft skills.

"Communication is so important," he says. "You need to clearly explain the numbers to a wide range of people. I've also made a conscious effort to step out of the micro detail in some areas and take a broader picture of the business in total, which includes strategy and operations as well as finance."

Cordy is also working to streamline the company's reporting systems.

"There is an opportunity for the business to go further in data analytics," he says. "Data capture is one thing, analysing it and making commercial decisions off the back of it is another. I think CAs have that analytical ability to drive this ahead."

Stephanie Forsyth CA

Westpac, senior manager technology finance
Age: 35

• Forsyth's previous role in audit at KPMG gave her a unique perspective on how technology was changing finance.
• Now in technology finance at Westpac, she has moved deeper into the world of technological change.

"I am fascinated with how we can employ technology to facilitate business insights, and what technology such as robotics, automation and cloud means for our roles in finance."

Stephanie Forsyth CA saw that something was changing in auditing in 2008, when she was at KPMG.

"We were in the middle of a transformation. Instead of paper audit files, brick laptops and clunky offline procedures, we were collaborating via online audit tools and implementing data analytics," she recalls.

Her role at KPMG straddled both audit and responsibility for regional strategic initiatives. It gave her a unique perspective on the implementation of technology and how that was changing the finance function.

"It was fascinating because you could see the new tools that were being delivered," she says. "It also cemented for me the idea that you need everyone involved. You can't just implement something and ask people to use it. You need people to come on the journey, feed into the solution and learn to work with, and alongside the technology."

Now in technology finance at Westpac, Forsyth has moved deeper into the world of technological change, where she delivers innovation to the bank's business units. This includes helping the team develop the strategic systems roadmap and helping her colleagues shift their mindset to embrace technological change.

"I am fascinated with how we can employ technology to facilitate business insights, and what technology such as robotics, automation and cloud means for our roles in finance," she says.

"I'm excited because we are better placed than ever before to shape how our businesses create and deliver value."

Dina Gofman CA

IAG, finance business partner; Project Accounting Australia, co-founder and CEO
Other roles: Chefs Cluster, co-founder; UNSW Business School, mentor; AxisAgile, project accounting lead
Age: 32

• Gofman uses her finance skills to help project managers make the best use of their resources to propel success.
• She also co-founded start-up Chefs Cluster, which she describes as Airbnb for commercial kitchens.

"I'm helping their projects in terms of ensuring they know how to best utilise their financial resources, increasing their likelihood of success."

Dina Gofman CA is involved with many projects that have one common theme: using her finance skills to solve problems and get better results.

Financial literacy is one of her main passions, which she pursues in her full-time role at IAG and in her consulting, start-up and volunteer work.

One key area of her expertise is project accounting; Gofman writes and consults widely on this subject. She has developed a framework approach to project accounting that will form part of a package of education tools.

"I have worked with a lot of project managers, and while their projects are fantastic, it has been clear that finance is not their strong suit," Gofman says.

"I'm helping their projects in terms of ensuring they know how to best utilise their financial resources, increasing their likelihood of success."

The Sydney-based Gofman is also co-founder of a start-up called Chefs Cluster, which she describes as "Airbnb" for commercial kitchens.

The idea is that chefs working in catering or running market stalls, who need a commercial kitchen but often can't afford to kit one out, will be able to hire one for short periods from restaurants or hotels whose facilities are not being used.

"It's a big problem in the hospitality market, and we think we've come up with a way to solve it," she says.

Srivatsa "Shane" Gujjari CA

Cancer Council Queensland, senior manager, finance
Other roles: Counting with a Purpose, founder and program facilitator
Age: 32

• Gujjari established the Counting With a Purpose program to encourage and support underprivileged people to learn about accounting and finances.
• He says the program has flow-on effects to the whole community.

"Accounting is a universal language, it's a life skill."

Srivatsa Gujjari CA grew up in Melbourne's Dandenong region, a cultural melting pot of new immigrants and Indigenous people. He understands how access to education and mentoring can contribute to the development of the community.

Now a senior manager, finance, at the Cancer Council Queensland, Gujjari has spent the past seven years in the not-for-profit sector, building a career helping others.

Gujjari established Counting with a Purpose, a program that encourages and supports underprivileged people to take up accounting as a field of study.

With a team of volunteers and teachers who work within the field, Counting with a Purpose has helped participants gain accounting qualifications since the program's inception. Many graduates are moving on to working in the sector.

"Accounting is a universal language, it's a life skill," Gujjari says. "Counting with a Purpose not only helps people become financially responsible but also enables them to support their family members with their small businesses. This helps to improve the sustainability of the whole community."

Counting with a Purpose has gained great support in Melbourne, and Gujjari is planning to expand the program to Brisbane, where he moved a year ago.

"We are investigating the needs of the community and looking for committed professionals to help us mentor the next generation of accountants in Queensland," he says.

Ryan Hanson CA

Commonwealth Bank of Australia, Finance manager, Business Partnering
Other roles: NSW Young Chartered Accountants Panel, chair
Age: 29

• Hanson first became involved with CA ANZ by talking about the CA qualification with university students.
• He is also chair of the NSW Young Chartered Accountants Panel.

"When you go and speak with CAs working in different industries, you get a sense of how big and varied the accounting stream is."

Networking gives Ryan Hanson CA a perspective on the diversity of roles within the profession and how it is changing.

"You can get caught up in your own job, but when you go and speak with CAs working in different industries, you get a sense of how big and varied the accounting stream is," he says.

Hanson became involved at CA ANZ when he was part of CBA's graduate program and received a request to talk to university students about the CA qualification.

He became even more involved when he took the role as chair of the NSW Young Chartered Accountants (YCA) Panel, steering it towards its 2019 goals and increasing collaboration with the wider CA organisation.

This involvement has shown him how the profession is changing.

"It's not just the stock-standard accounting role any more," he observes. "Many CAs are starting their own businesses and have a really different way of seeing the world."

Hanson says he observes CAs becoming increasingly involved in the "strategy piece" and this is reflected in his own role at CBA, where he works as a business partner for the bank's IT teams.

"My role is about working alongside the business and helping them to explain their financial performance to make informed decisions," he says. "I bridge the gap between data and turn it into something that can be explained and then acted on for the business."

Josh Hickford CA

TSB, senior management accountant
Other roles: Cancer Society Taranaki Centre, finance chair and committee member; CA ANZ Young Regional Advocate
Age: 30

• A cancer survivor, Hickford built the Ripple app to strengthen support networks for others with the disease.
• He used his profile as a contestant on Survivor NZ to raise NZ$32,000 to fund the app.

"It's pretty cool to create something that millions of New Zealanders will benefit from."

As a cancer survivor, Josh Hickford CA knows all too well the importance of support networks for people living with the disease. Now he's helping others get that support.

Hickford has developed Ripple, an app that will allow New Zealanders affected by the disease to find other patients and carers – indeed, anyone touched by cancer – to support one another and exchange information. Ripple was launched in late November 2019.

"I had cancer myself in 2017, undergoing chemotherapy and radiation, and managed to beat it," he says. "But I thought there was a bit of a shortfall in support services in New Zealand for access by patients, survivors, caregivers – anyone that's touched by cancer."

Hickford was a contestant on Survivor NZ and used his profile to raise NZ$32,000 to fund the app and open doors. He rang the CEO of the Cancer Society, who backed the idea.

"It's gone from an idea, to a vision to a reality," he says. "It's pretty cool to create something that millions of New Zealanders will benefit from."

Hickford is a senior management accountant at TSB. He says being a CA helped get Ripple up and running.

"Traditionally, people think CAs are just bean counters. But being a CA in this day and age, you're quite well respected, we are well-rounded individuals in strategy, marketing, community engagement and empowering other people."

Meryl Johnston CA

Bean Ninjas, CEO and co-founder
Other roles: Fishburners Co-working Community, mentor; TinySeed, mentor and volunteer judge for Startup Weekend
Age: 35

• Meryl Johnston CA's online bookkeeping business Bean Ninjas, founded in seven days in 2015, now has a team across six countries.
• In 2019, Bean Ninjas launched financial literacy courses for small business owners and employees.

"Similar to me, my clients are about achieving both business success and lifestyle. We are a really good fit with modern tech-savvy businesses – they want freedom in their lives, to build wealth and be sustainable."

In 2015, Meryl Johnston CA co-founded online bookkeeper and educator Bean Ninjas in seven days, with just A$1000. Her Gold Coast business now employs 15 people across six countries, who service tech-savvy clients from Australia, the US, the UK and Hong Kong.

Johnston is now a mentor to start-ups through the Fishburners Co-working Community and the TinySeed accelerator and believes communication skills are the key to helping improve the financial literacy of others. This year, Bean Ninjas launched financial literacy courses for small business owners and their employees.

"If I'm talking to a start-up, I don't use accounting language, I tell the story behind their numbers in a way that makes sense to them," Johnston says.

"I've been practising my storytelling skills for the past four to five years through my blog. I also spend a lot of time listening, so I know where my clients are coming from and what the context is."

A keen surfer and mum to six-month-old Ava, Johnston says flexibility and lifestyle are central to Bean Ninja's culture.

"Similar to me, my clients are about achieving both business success and lifestyle," she says. "We are a really good fit with modern tech-savvy businesses – they want freedom in their lives, to build wealth and be sustainable."

Rishi Kher CA

XB4, senior associate; MetaliCoin, CFO
Other roles: Third Man Up, co-founder
Age: 29

• Kher juggles two roles as CFO of MetaliCoin and senior associate at XB4 alongside his Third Man Up activities.
• Kher's ultimate goal is to use his accounting skills to help people and communities.

"I enjoy taking risks and being a bit different."

At the age of 29, Rishi Kher already has the makings of an impressive career portfolio: CFO of blockchain start-up MetaliCoin, senior associate at accounting practice XB4 and co-founder of not-for-profit organisation Third Man Up.

"If I could continue to do all three at the same time, that would be a fantastic dream," says Kher, who also found time to participate in the SBS reality TV show Bollywood Star in 2012. "I'm managing at the moment, and I'm fortunate I've got great teams and people to work with."

A regular guest speaker for CA ANZ on blockchain, he's passionate about the technology's potential impact on the accounting profession. "It might actually change the way auditors audit," he says. "They may end up auditing blockchains to ensure that the way data is being put into the system is correct."

Kher's ultimate career goal is to use his accounting skills to help people and communities. He's well on the way with Third Man Up, which runs social and sporting events to raise funds for existing charities. In its three years of operation, it has raised more than A$30,000.

"I've always wanted to do more and to give back," Melbourne-based Kher says. "The three things I am doing explore my passions. I enjoy taking risks and being a bit different."

Wiehan Labuschagne CA

Whanganui District Council, management accountant
Age: 30

• Labuschagne has been recognised for his innovative approach to his work and developing his team.
• His ambition is to continue working in the local government sector and rise to a chief role.

"I enjoy the services that are being delivered. I like to see the difference that's being made."

Wiehan Labuschagne CA never saw himself working for local government. "But when the opportunity came around and I looked into it, it's quite a broad, very interesting field," he says. "And I enjoy the services that are being delivered. I like to see the difference that's being made."

Labuschagne was recognised by his previous employer, Tararua District Council in New Zealand's North Island, for his innovative approach to his work and for developing the team around him.

"I found myself getting more and more involved in different projects and taking ownership on a lot of issues the council needed to resolve," he says.

An example was his work overseeing the annual report and shifting from an adversarial relationship to a co-operative one with the auditors.

"It was quite effective because instead of coming to us and saying you have to change this, they were willing to try to understand what we did, how we got to that point and work with us," he says.

In fact, the relationship improved from a qualified report before Labuschagne started, to the audit teams saying they saw a culture of honesty and integrity had been embedded within the organisation.

Labuschagne has since taken up a role as a management accountant at Whanganui District Council; his ambition is to continue working in the sector and rise to a chief role.

Rosalind Loo CA

Practice Ignition, chief financial officer
Age: 30

• Loo has used her IT and accounting skills to help software start-up Practice Ignition grow.
• She says extracting insights from data was important for Practice Ignition to drive change.

"I enjoy making an impact on our business, our teams and our customers."

In the words of Practice Ignition's CEO, Guy Pearson, Rosalind Loo CA has "crushed it".

Transitioning from the audit division of a Big Four professional services firm, Loo leapt into the start-up world, deploying her information technology, accounting and audit expertise to help grow Practice Ignition, a client engagement, proposals and payments platform for accountants.

Loo successfully led a A$5 million Series A venture-capital raising for Practice Ignition in 2017. This fuelled the company's global expansion, leading to an A$26 million Series B round in September this year.

These funding rounds have supported Practice Ignition to grow its team from 12 to 65 people. The Sydney-based company now services 3000 accounting and bookkeeping practices.

Loo says the innovative and rapidly growing environment has enabled her to build her proficiencies in Structured Query Language (SQL), data mining and analytics.

"My financial experience means I can analyse the results while my IT background means I can extract insights from the massive amounts of data available. That has enabled the business to drive change and has been so important in raising two rounds of capital," she says.

"I enjoy making an impact on our business, our teams and our customers."

Loo has also concentrated on anti-fraud mechanisms to safeguard the payments the company processes.

"I led the introduction of a framework to mitigate risk and I am always on guard while overseeing controls for the payment function," she says.

Justin Martin CA

BDO Wellington, advisory associate
Age: 34

• Martin believes that educating clients about finance is a way to build a bridge from compliance to advisory work.
• He runs workshops on Colour Accounting to teach non-accountants the basics of finance work.

"If we teach and upskill our clients, they are going to understand and appreciate the value we can bring to them."

Justin Martin CA is excited about the changes technology is bringing to the accounting profession. He argues that advancements in automation, cloud computing and software are empowering accountants to add value to businesses.

Martin is an advisory associate at BDO Wellington and a key stakeholder in BDO-Drive, which is the accounting firm BDO's management consulting arm. Accountants can and should bring new ideas to organisations, he says, and need to use numbers to tell a story that gives clear insights.

He gives the example of a professional services client that was using BDO only for annual compliance. As the relationship deepened, Martin was able to introduce regular KPI reporting and three-way forecasting, and identify strategic issues.

"Previously, they just had last year's numbers as a yardstick, now they are set up to track their progress," Martin says. This is giving them real-time insight into their balance sheet.

Wellington-based Martin also runs workshops around New Zealand for BDO on Colour Accounting. The one-day course uses an engaging graphical system to teach non-accountants the basics of the profession.

"We really see education as the bridge between compliance and advisory," Martin says. "If we teach and upskill our clients, they are going to understand and appreciate the value we can bring to them."

Damon Maslen CA

Adelaide Fringe Festival, head of finance
Other roles: Water Polo South Australia, director of finance
Age: 32

• Maslen wants to balance accountability and a solid financial base with the flexibility the Fringe needs.
• In 2020, Adelaide’s annual four-week Fringe festival will celebrate 60 years on the stage.

"The main thing I'm bringing to Fringe is a delicate balance of accountability and flexibility. It's been operating as a for-purpose enterprise but it needs to have that base accountability and flexibility to help solidify its future."

As the only CA focused on not-for-profits in a family with several CAs and CPAs, Damon Maslen CA hopes to bring commercial pedigree to the world's second-largest open-access arts festival as Adelaide Fringe's head of finance.

Fresh from an audit career, Maslen is examining internal financial controls at Fringe, redesigning reporting platforms, adding forward financial plans, budgets and cash-flow forecasts, and analysing data for ongoing auditing.

"All of which feed through to better board and management reporting and the financial sustainability of the Adelaide Fringe," he says.

"The main thing I'm bringing to Fringe is a delicate balance of accountability and flexibility. It's been operating as a for-purpose enterprise but it needs to have that base accountability and flexibility to help solidify its future."

"It needs solid backing that gives it a plan for the future and for financial sustainability."

In 2020, the Adelaide Fringe celebrates 60 years on Adelaide's stage. Success is crucial for Fringe and the state, with the economic impact of the annual four-week festival estimated at A$100 million.

Maslen has aimed to explain the intricacies of compliance and running a business at the under-resourced NFPs where he has worked, including as Water Polo South Australia director of finance. New budgeting processes, debt collection rules and financial needs testing for under-resourced water polo families have assisted in keeping Water Polo SA above water.

Jessica Nesbitt CA

EY, director
Other roles: Australian Army Reserve, captain
Age: 34

• The mental toughness she developed in the Australian Army was equally useful when she worked at the Australian National Audit Office.
• Nesbitt says public-sector challenges can be complex, but solving complex problems is a core skill for CAs.

"Because CAs are trained to develop their professional judgement framework, they have a good basis to draw on when helping the government to navigate uncertainty and solve complex problems."

Taking on large amounts of data and solving complex problems are core skills for chartered accountants, but they also helped Jessica Nesbitt CA in her work for the Australian Army.

Now a captain in the Army Reserve, Nesbitt was once a signals officer helping implement infrastructure that allowed forces from four countries to talk to one another and make fast decisions.

Shifts of 48 or even 72 hours were common, she says, so it was crucial to be purpose-led and resilient.

The mental toughness she developed in the role helped her later at the Australian National Audit Office, where she spent long hours auditing the Australian government's Consolidated Financial Statements.

Now a director at EY, Nesbitt says CAs can bring much to the public service, particularly in grappling with the complexity of providing crucial services while ensuring taxpayers are getting value for money.

"Public-sector challenges are complex and require broad stakeholder consideration and debate," Nesbitt says.

Victoria Pollard CA

The Faculty Management Consultants, head of Finance & HR, leadership team member
Other roles: Victorian Young Chartered Accountants Panel, member; University of Melbourne Access Connections Mentoring Program, mentor; University of Melbourne Faculty of Business and Economics Mentoring Program, mentor
Age: 30

• Pollard is known to offer calming advice to the risky tech start-up sector.
• As part of her mentoring, she helps students match their personalities to a career path.

"Leadership is helping others find out what they really want to do."

Tech start-ups are known to experience roaring growth quickly and Victoria Pollard CA is known to offer calming advice to this risky sector.

Pollard's understanding of the ins and outs of the Australian government's research and development tax incentive, and her acute interest in the workings of small and medium business, make her a powerful ally as start-ups are finding their feet and as they experience growth.

"Taking the time to really understand a business owner's vision and goals makes for a great partnership," says Pollard, who is the head of Finance & HR and a member of the leadership team at The Faculty Management Consultants in Melbourne.

"Once a small business or a start-up knows you've really got their back, and you can help them manage cash-flow volatility and business risks, and have streamlined their finance function, you can begin advising of improvement opportunities in all parts of the business."

A desire for variety motivated Pollard to work with SMEs, and it's this embrace of variety that she impresses upon her mentees. As a mentor at the University of Melbourne and a member of the Victorian Young Chartered Accountants Panel, she helps students match their personalities to a career path.

"Understanding the power of self-reflection is key," she says.

Megan Scott CA

PwC, director, transformation, Asia-Pacific
Other roles: Digital Fitness Club Auckland, founder
Age: 32

• Scott works in a regional team at PwC that helps organisations use digital technology to define their tax responsibilities.
• She helped found the Digital Fitness Club in Auckland, a group where finance professionals can exchange ideas.

"Many [finance teams] want validation, and they can get that from meeting with one another and exchanging experiences and ideas."

After five years in London with PwC, Megan Scott CA arrived in Auckland expecting a quieter life, only to be asked on day one to take on a new regional role with the firm.

While in London, Scott began looking at how digital technologies could transform tax reporting and compliance. She discovered that those skills were in high demand across the Asia-Pacific region.

"So now I'm in a regional team that helps organisations define their global tax responsibilities and transform with digital technology," she says. "For example, I am working with a Chinese multinational in Beijing, helping them restructure their tax function so they can get visibility over their global tax affairs."

Back in Auckland, Scott helped found the Digital Fitness Club for finance professionals, a group where representatives from about 20 organisations meet to exchange ideas.

"When I got back to New Zealand, I noticed that many finance teams wanted to make change, but many didn't know where to start," she explains. "Many of them also want validation, and they can get that from meeting with one another and sharing experiences and ideas."

Driving Scott's passion is a belief that the role of finance professionals is transforming for the better through technology.

"I see us working more closely with the CEO and using our insights to drive key business decisions," she says.

Kate Sheringham CA

Kollaborative Solutions, founder and lead consultant
Other roles: CA ANZ accredited self-managed super fund specialist
Age: 32

• Sheringham's focus is on assisting her software business partners to deliver relevant products.
• She also works with BT Financial Group on shaping its BT Panorama wealth platform for the SMSF industry.

"We carry out extensive customer research to ensure we are creating the right tools to help accountants grow their businesses and better service their clients."

With more than a decade of technical self-managed super fund (SMSF) expertise and experience in professional practice, software start-ups, listed companies and financial services, Kate Sheringham CA has launched a company that is helping the innovators innovate better.

Kollaborative Solutions opened its doors in early 2018, providing product management consulting services to leading software companies in the accounting and SMSF sector.

"We are constantly leveraging the latest technology to provide further automation and create a more integrated ecosystem for firms to use," the Sydney-based Sheringham says.

She also works with BT Financial Group on shaping its wealth platform, BT Panorama, for the SMSF industry.

Her focus at Kollaborative is assisting her software business partners in delivering relevant and timely products and software enhancements to accountants and their clients. Her involvement extends from conceptualisation to development right through to market delivery.

"We carry out extensive customer research to ensure we are creating the right tools to help accountants grow their businesses and better service their clients," she says.

Since opening its doors, Kollaborative Solutions has worked with software companies to create new products and develop new features and software integrations through a customer-centric design approach.

"We are trying to help accountants optimise what they're doing and manage ever-increasing client demands in a complex market with intense cost pressures," she explains.

In addition to a number of software integrations, the company is now working on new, enhanced automation and data-extraction tools to help accountants with compliance and workflow.

"This will help to optimise workflow, elevate service levels and alert accountants to issues and opportunities," Sheringham says.