The Dexterous Group’s Carly Chant CA has been named in this year’s Ignition list of the Top 50 Women in Accounting, which celebrates inspiring women across the industry.

The head of CFO advisory for the finance outsourcing firm was recognised for her leadership skills and dedication to delivering outstanding client outcomes.

The awards were launched in 2018 and have since become a highlight in accounting calendars for showcasing the female professionals who inspire others through their expertise, dedication and knowledge, and help create a more inclusive industry.

“The power of the Ignition Women in Accounting Awards is that they highlight the achievements of so many talented women,” says Chant. “I will absolutely stand up and support women’s empowerment as well as diversity and inclusion in our industry whenever I can. It was an honour to have the opportunity to do that by being named one of the top 50.”

Pictured: Carly Chant CA, Dexterous CFO

“I will absolutely stand up and support women’s empowerment as well as diversity and inclusion in our industry.”

Dexterous growth

The Dexterous Group has enjoyed a highly successful year with impressive levels of growth.

“Our purpose is to empower businesses to realise their potential through our refreshing and innovative approach to managing and running their finance teams,” says Chant. “We provide everything from payroll and bookkeeping to management, accounting, reporting and CFO services. It’s been fantastic to be so hands-on and grow the team. Dexterous is going from strength to strength!”

For more than 20 years, her forward-thinking approach has been a breath of fresh air in the accounting industry. Over the course of a decade, she built her bookkeeping business from one employee to 25, and won multiple industry and business growth awards, before selling it in 2019.

When she landed her first role as an auditor for PwC in 2002, very few women held leadership positions in the industry. “There were only two in my department at the time,” she remembers. “I’ve seen a huge shift since then, brought about by organisations that want to champion change in society.”

Smashing the glass ceiling

Chant believes equal access to parental leave would have a huge impact on women’s ability to break through the glass ceiling in accounting. “It would move the dial enormously when it comes to promoting the idea that women shouldn’t have to choose between parenthood and a working career,” she says.

While there’s still a long way to go before women have equal opportunities, she believes celebrating the progress made so far is crucial. “When you think that only 36% of directors on ASX 200 boards are women, it’s not very motivating,” she says. “But there are so many good things happening that I remain optimistic.”

Tech driving growth

She credits some of the Dexterous Group’s recent successes to its decision six months ago to employ the Ignition platform to automate and optimise proposals, client agreements, billing and payment collection. “Its ability to integrate with our other solutions has been brilliant,” she says. “In a very short time, we’ve seen how much it can improve our business and the service we provide to clients.”

Find out more:

Visit ignitionapp.com to find out more about Ignition’s all-in-one platform for professional services that empowers businesses to get paid faster and run smarter.