Naomi Walsh FCA is keen to dispel the myth that accounting is boring.

“There are so many opportunities in accounting itself, and transferable skills provide even more, both at home and overseas,” she says. “Roles such as quality assurance and implementing legislation aren’t technically accounting but they’ve contributed to my own varied, satisfying and very enjoyable career.”

That career spans senior commercial roles, mid-tier firms and consultancy in Australia and the UK. In 2015 Walsh received the Telstra Business Women’s Award for the corporate and private sector in Tasmania. Today, alongside her role as CA ANZ president, she is academic lead, industry engagement, at the University of Tasmania where she oversees business engagement, research connections and employability programs. She also serves on the boards of several government and community organisations.

“Past presidents recognised the importance of making the profession appealing to young people by emphasising its scope,” she says. “Thanks to them, we now have a toolkit to help small and medium firms attract, hire, select and retain those entering accounting, while CA Fundamentals and CA Foundations are widening the net by providing alternative pathways to our world-class CA Program. I’ve no doubt that recruitment will be an ongoing challenge, but I believe the tide is starting to turn. I’m looking forward to building on that momentum by making career diversity one of my three priorities for the coming year.”

A positive impact

Walsh will also prioritise the positive impact that chartered accountants have on their profession, their organisations and the community.

“This ties in with career diversity in terms of the purpose and satisfaction that come with the job,” she says. “As president, I’ll work to foster support for our program of fellowships, service awards, life memberships and milestone recognitions that celebrate professional excellence and meaningful community impact and are exemplars for individuals starting out in their careers.”

Her third priority is balancing new and emerging areas with core traditional skills and ethical and professional standards.

“Ethical behaviour and professional standards have been defining attributes of my experience,” she says. “For example, when I moved to the UK I had no work lined up, just three local contacts and my CA designation. These opened the door to four years of employment, including consulting for big banks and a project for the Olympics bids. I think that’s a really good demonstration of the strength of the chartered accountants’ global network and the power of the designation to identify members as trusted professionals.”

Trust has never been more important than in today’s world of deepfakes, synthetic financial statements and AI-generated misinformation – though Walsh sees AI as an opportunity rather than a threat to members.

“Technology can automate processes but it can’t replace judgement, ethics or professional scepticism,” she says. “At CA ANZ, AI is core to our strategy in terms of how we work internally and what it means for our members but we all need the right skills to use AI effectively,” she says. “I’m conscious that upskilling can be challenging given the pressures of workload and time for members, so it’s critical that we develop resources and tools that are both flexible and easy to access.”

Setting an example

Walsh sees modelling mental and physical wellbeing as a fundamental of any leadership role.

“For me, that includes spending time at the beach, yoga and getting in my 10,000 steps a day when I can,” she says. “Social contact is equally important and I love spending time with my young adult daughters, my husband, friends and in volunteer activities.”

Throughout her career, Walsh has also embraced opportunities for continuous learning, both through study and by challenging herself in new areas.

“I didn’t intend to work in academia but I said yes to the opportunity when it arose,” she says of her role at the University of Tasmania. “It started out in quite a small way but I’ve been there for over seven years now, in very interesting roles. I really enjoy the collegiality of the academic and professional staff.”

She was also approached for board roles, based on her diverse experience and CA qualification.

“Again, earlier in my career I couldn’t have imagined having these roles but they proved to be very enlightening and satisfying,” she says. “I love being able to apply my many years of experience in a way that’s very different from an executive capacity. I’m immensely grateful for the support that has made it possible for me to find a balance in my working life while continuing to live in Tasmania, which I’m proud to call home.”

Read the first letter from your 2026 CA ANZ president here.