Moments: Kirstin Stewart CA
This Perth native initially studied a Bachelor of Arts until her administration role in a small practice led Kirstin Stewart CA to realise she wanted to be an accountant. She transferred to a Commerce degree and is now a partner – private business, tax and advisory at Grant Thornton Australia.
In Brief
- ‘Life is too short’, so you should take opportunities and chances, as you never know what is around the corner.
- Working with NFP entities has been a rewarding experience overall and also a great learning experience.
- Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to present on numerous topics to clients and colleagues. This can be daunting but I continue to challenge myself.
2003
This photo – taken at my Bachelor of Commerce graduation at Murdoch University – includes my parents. My mother was undergoing chemotherapy at the time and this is a moment I’m so glad she got to see, as she lost her battle with cancer not too long after. My mother’s death left an undeniable mark on me and one motto I always live by is that ‘life is too short’, so you should take opportunities and chances, as you never know what is around the corner.
2010
For seven years I was a presenter at the level one business advisory course with the Australasian Chartered Accountants Training Group. This picture is with two of my co facilitators, Sam Facy CA (left) from Accru Adelaide and Sean Urquhart CA from Nexia in Sydney. I really enjoyed engaging with the next generation of accountants. It’s very rewarding and I continue to be involved when I can.
2016
After the birth of my third child Abbey, my husband Mark took six months’ parental leave and did five years part-time to allow me to return to work full-time, so my career could progress. It was during this time of parental leave that I was promoted to partner in the firm I was with at that time.
2018
Throughout my career, I have had the opportunity to present on numerous topics to clients and colleagues. This can be daunting but I continue to challenge myself. Ultimately, wanting to improve the process gives clients and colleagues an opportunity to discover new things and helping clients is what I love most about what I do.
2018
Being honoured on the National Treasurer’s Honour Roll at Joondalup Lotteries House, a not-for-profit (NFP) I was on the board of, was a humbling experience. Working with NFP entities has been a rewarding experience overall and also a great learning experience.
2019
This photo combines two of my passions – my children and travel. It was taken on New Year’s Eve 2019, just weeks away before COVID-19 would change our lives. We had spent Christmas with our UK family and were enjoying Hogmanay in Edinburgh, about to watch the fireworks. My children have been blessed to do far more travel than I ever did at their ages. I want to experience the world whenever the opportunities arise and including my family is very important.
