Trust and integrity are important personal and professional values for Mere George CA, a proud Māori woman, business leader and inspirational figure for young Māori finance and accounting professionals. She understands the important part these values play within communities.

In 2013, George joined only a handful of Māori women leaders in the professional services space when she was appointed partner at GHA Chartered Accountants and Management Consultants.

Today, she uses her position and skills to serve the Māori business community as a way of giving back to her iwi and wider whānau (family) as well as promoting the Māori image in business. She credits the CA designation as a fundamental part of her ability to do this.

“I’ve always had the desire to work for my people, and the CA designation has enabled me to do this. It’s incredibly rewarding to use these skills for my people. I want the next generation to see that if I can be a successful accountant so can they, that we can disprove the naysayers and show that we are capable and strong people,” George says.

She hopes her career path will become increasingly common within the Māori community. She sees Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand as playing an important part in educating the growing Māori financial services community and empowering the leaders of tomorrow.

“Chartered Accountants provides an excellent knowledge platform and support system for Māori to become influential business people. We might start as accountants, but we will grow into business leaders, mentors and owners,” she says.

Empowered to succeed

Mere George CA.

From a young age, George has enjoyed using numbers and logic to solve problems; for her, accounting was a natural career choice. Early on in her studies, George identified that the CA Program could equip her with the skills to perform roles others could not.

In 2005 she became a full member of CA ANZ, and since then she has sailed from one professional success to another.

“I firmly believe the CA designation has opened a lot of doors for me. If I weren’t a chartered accountant, I wouldn’t have been offered the partnership at GHA. I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to work on the diverse mix of clients I have, or possess the transferable skills that have allowed me to work across a number of different roles,” she explains.

“Being a CA means you’re supported by a professional community with ongoing training, and you’ve always got a group of peers to rely on. It also means that you gain a valuable perspective that places ethics at the heart of your decision making – something which is really important.”

Advice for future accountants

Looking to the future, George sees the role of accountants becoming increasingly important, and she strongly advocates for students to look past traditional stereotypes and see that the modern accountant can make a real difference.

“An accountant is not the geek in glasses in a dark room with a calculator. We have exciting roles where we can really make a difference in business. We work alongside CEOs and influence important business decisions,” she argues.

George believes anyone who has the CA designation and is willing to work hard can achieve career success like she has.

“I strongly believe that the CA designation can provide you with a career rich in rewards. It’s hard work, and you need to be dedicated, but it can certainly pay off.”

“I strongly believe that the CA designation can provide you with a career rich in rewards. It’s hard work, and you need to be dedicated, but it can certainly pay off.”

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