Tinashe Kamangira FCA is fond of having a cup of tea and reading an actual newspaper in the morning. But he’s not pining for the past. The 2019 Western Australian Regional Council Chair is also a tech enthusiast, with a postgrad certificate in information technology, and his focus is firmly on the future.

Kamangira first joined the WA Regional Council in 2013 and he is especially keen for young CAs to have a strong voice in the organisation.

“Our profession is going through a profound time of change and I felt I could ‘give back’ and represent the voice of the CA members and work with some great councillors,” he says.

“I have always felt that it is better to be part of the solution and give back to the profession. I hope I can inspire more of our members to get more involved.”

Giving back to the community is equally important for the Zimbabwe-born CA, who volunteers with and advises various not-for-profits in Australia and overseas.

For nine years, he has been finance director of Calcutta Stations Mission, which supplies meals to the poor in Kolkata and sponsors young women from deprived backgrounds to train as teachers. And since 2015, he has served as the state treasurer for the St Vincent De Paul Society in Western Australia and chaired its Finance and Audit committee.

Kamangira became an account director with Deloitte Private in Perth at the beginning of 2019, following a decade with Grant Thornton specialising in business and taxation advice for private businesses.

“I have always felt that it is better to be part of the solution and give back to the profession.”

This year marks a transition in his professional life, but what change does he see ahead for CAs in Western Australia during 2019?

What’s an important priority for the future of your region?

Tinashe Kamangira FCA

Western Australia is transitioning from the mining boom and new industries are opening up, developing and thriving. When I look into the future, the potential for opportunities is so bright it hurts my eyes!

What do you think is the most important issue for the future of the accounting profession?

Trust. The recent royal commission into banking has highlighted the deficit of trust in institutions. As chartered accountants, our purpose is to serve the public interest. In return, society allocates certain privileges such as our social licence to operate.

What are your top three priorities as chair of the WA Regional Council?

• Amplifying the voice of our WA members.
• Working closely with our representative committees – Public Practice Committee, Chartered Accountants in Business, Young Chartered Accountants and Chartered Accountants Advisory Group – to ensure all members are adequately represented.
• Connecting with young members, the future of our profession, across our structures and committees.

What makes you proud of the CA community in your region?

Our young CAs continue to push our organisation and sense of purpose; for example, they inspired the Not-for-Profit Board Experience Program and they also take time out to volunteer as a committee each year.

What have you learnt about achieving strategic goals?

Persistence and dedication.

When you were a child, what did you want to be when you grew up?

An accountant – and if that fell through, a soccer player!

What’s on your reading/viewing list?

The Silk Roads: A new history of the world by Peter Frankopan.

What do you like to do for fun or to unwind?

Enjoying a cup of tea and reading a newspaper (yes, I still read the paper version every day).

And what’s your top tip for visitors to Western Australia?

• Nothing beats summer in the Dunsborough region, south of Perth.
• Winter in the Margaret River wine region.