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Articles by Domini Stuart
How to support someone coming out at work
Facing her colleagues one Monday morning at a road construction site was not just another day at work for Christina Hankey CA, who now works as a senior investment adviser at the New Zealand Ministry of Justice and is a member of the CA Pride Committee. Over the weekend, she had made the decision to speak a life-altering truth out loud for the first time. While it both elated and terrified her, she knew it was the only path to living authentically.
5 ways to prioritise professional learning and CPD
When every day feels full, professional learning including CPD can easily slip down the priority list. Yet there are many ways to reclaim your schedule and efficiently achieve your learning goals and CPD requirements, says productivity expert and author Donna McGeorge. From mindset shifts to smarter habits, discover her tips for making learning a consistent, non-negotiable part of your career growth. Learning doesn't bite back straight away.
Four accountants share how they became CA ANZ fellows
It typically takes at least 10 years for a chartered accountant to gain the experience, expertise and respect required to be awarded a CA ANZ fellowship. Fellows may use the FCA postnominal, in recognition of their outstanding contribution to the profession and the community. Yet the following four CA ANZ fellows received the designation comparatively early on in their careers. Here’s what set them apart.
Going bush – celebrating regional and rural accountants
Jo Balcomb FCA made the move to Orange in New South Wales from the city decades ago and has never regretted it. Pictured above with her trusty kelpie Rip. By Cameron Cooper Working in Sydney for KPMG early in her finance career, Jo Balcomb FCA seemed to be on a fast track to partnership at a big four, city-based firm. Marrying a fifth-generation sheep, cattle and wheat farmer in Orange, NSW, flipped that scenario on its head.
How to make an Acknowledgement of Country meaningful
An Acknowledgement of Country is now a familiar part of many Australian workplaces, community events and public ceremonies. But beyond the words, its purpose is to recognise something fundamental: the continuing connection First Nations peoples have to Country and their unique status as the Traditional Owners of this land.
Is low pay driving graduates away from accounting?
5 min read In brief The number of accounting graduates is falling, yet new recruits continue to receive relatively low starting pay. Benefits such as development opportunities, flexibility and clear career progression could help to make the wait worthwhile. Qualifying as a CA can bring a significant increase in salary and lead to higher paying roles. Fewer school leavers are studying for a career in accounting.
When to consolidate or close a not-for-profit business
NFPs in Australia and New Zealand are facing mounting challenges, from government funding cuts and a difficult fundraising environment to staff retention problems and more onerous governance requirements. The problem may be particularly acute in New Zealand, which has about 28,000 registered charities – one of the highest charity-to-population ratios in the world, at roughly one charity for every 180-190 people.
Should director tenure be mandated?
The fact that Australia does not have a mandatory board tenure limit is again in the spotlight as regulators and investors press for change. Australian Prudential Regulation Authority’s (APRA) proposed governance reforms introduce a 12-year default tenure limit for non-executive directors, supported by renewal and succession planning requirements.
Has the chair role become too big for one person?
Board chairs have seen their roles and responsibilities expand dramatically over the past few years. The Deloitte report Board effectiveness and the chair of the future describes it as “a job that’s become all-encompassing”. “The time commitment required continues to increase as regulation relating to governance, risk and social issues becomes more complex,” says Paul Masi MAICD, an experienced director and chair of Greenwich Capital Partners. Chairs are expected to stay across emerging risks.
Eight ways to master the art of boardroom influence
Executive summary Effective boardroom communication requires a shift from detailed, operational thinking to concise, strategic messaging focused on the issue, its significance and the required action. Strong presentations combine clear structure, disciplined preparation and emotional resonance, helping leaders communicate with both authority and impact. Executive presence is built through confidence, authenticity and active listening.
The nine boardroom behaviours that kill good decisions
EXECUTIVE SUMMARY Board performance is often undermined not by strategy, but by predictable director behaviours that derail discussion and decision making. These patterns are familiar in most boardrooms and require different interventions from the chair. This article outlines practical strategies and targeted questions to help boards stay focused, balanced and effective. One difficult director can derail a board’s focus, shifting attention from governance to managing behaviour.
How to navigate ethical and professional risks
Each year, the Professional Conduct Committee (PCC) receives numerous complaints and concerns about members. The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) and CA ANZ disciplinary bodies handled more than 750 complaints over the past year. While the circumstances vary, several recurring themes emerge time and again. The good news is that many of these issues can be avoided through careful planning, robust processes and a proactive approach to ethical decision making.
3 TED Talks on how we can use data for a smarter future
Data is often talked about in abstract terms – numbers, algorithms, systems – but its real power lies in what it makes possible. Influencing everything from the food we eat to the cities we live in and the technology we rely on, data is increasingly shaping smarter, more responsive solutions to complex global challenges. These three TED Talks explore how we could use data to create a more sustainable and efficient future. 1.
How intergenerational dynamics shape family businesses
Insights from the 2025 Grant Thornton Family Business Survey offer accountants a new depth of clarity around the challenges facing such organisations, as well as the enormous opportunities they enjoy. And family businesses do have opportunities that others don’t, says Kirsten Taylor-Martin CA, partner and national head of family enterprise consulting at Grant Thornton. They have superpowers. “When they have everything set up and they work well together, it’s just magic.
3 TED Talks on AI and the future
Recent McKinsey research shows 88% of organisations use AI regularly in at least one business function, up from 78% a year ago. While many are still experimenting with or piloting the technology, about one-third have begun scaling their AI programs. Since the launch of OpenAI’s ChatGPT in November 2022, new and updated models have brought major improvements in reasoning, accuracy and multimodal processing.
Tax tips and business advice from an accounting expert
After 40 years in the accounting profession spanning board appointments, startups and public practices, Allan Mason CA knows a few things about tax and how to run an accounting practice. The Brisbane-based CA currently consults on elite tax and accounting work to a small number of clients who need hands-on assistance with complicated matters. Mason has an ability to simplify complex information and find clever tax strategies for businesses. “Accounting is about creating order.
How to successfully onboard international hires
Overseas talent can be a major asset for your company, but only if they choose to stay – and the onboarding experience plays a major part in that decision. Australian-based specialist accounting recruiter Michael Edelstein and New Zealand human resources consultant Sharon McDonald share practical advice on how to make sure the first few days set up new international employees for success. 1.
Why women need to be part of the AI revolution
On Thursday 5 March 2026, CA ANZ held its annual International Women’s Day (IWD) event, which this year focused on the IWD26 theme Balance the Scales – including its call to turn celebration into action and advance concrete, systemic change. The discussion explored a critical question: will AI break down barriers for women and girls, or deepen them? Here are some of the key insights.
Bite-sized cover helps close the life insurance gap
A new cohort of workers that doesn’t fit the traditional employment profile has widened the insurance gap. Some insurers have developed a solution: module-based, embedded insurance. As well as providing protection for employees, embedded insurance offers employers an opportunity to differentiate themselves with meaningful benefits. Australia has a serious problem with under-insurance.
CA Career Mentoring: What you need to know
The CA Career Mentoring program is designed to help mentees unlock their professional potential, broaden their perspective and strengthen their personal brand, while building meaningful connections across the CA community. As a mentee, you’ll receive support and guidance from a fellow member, who can help you clarify and work towards your career goals.
Walking the thin blue line: How these CAs fight financial crime
On 7 March 2023, 21-year-old New Zealand man Aiden Sagala died after drinking from a beer can laced with concentrated liquid methamphetamine. He had been given the drink by his employer, Himatjit ‘Jimmy’ Kahlon, and his tragic death initiated a New Zealand Police investigation known as Operation Lavender.
Elite athletes: a full-time job with no salary?
The moment his chosen sport became his job, Rohan Chapman-Davies CA realised it would come with some sacrifices. But it would also offer numerous opportunities. “Once I finished high school, I saw that I had a really great opportunity ahead of me,” says Chapman-Davies, a 2018 Winter Olympic mogul skier who is now part of the corporate business services team at Ellice-Flint Group. “I wanted to give myself entirely to seeing what I can do in this athletic pursuit.
Meet your 2026 CA ANZ president: Naomi Walsh FCA
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.
Travis Auld's journey from CA to CEO of the Australian Grand Prix
Travis Auld CA isn’t scared to take the inside lane when he sees it. It’s a philosophy the CEO of the Australian Grand Prix Corporation has held since his very first job. Straight out of Melbourne’s La Trobe University, a friend passed up a graduate role at William Buck that interested Auld. Sensing an opportunity, he contacted a partner at the firm, David Ashmore, who was “surprised” but agreed to meet him.
What is cultural load and how can businesses eliminate it?
On one side of Te Moana-nui-a-Kiwa (the Pacific Ocean), many Māori workers have been there: eyeballed by the boss to do a karakia (recite a prayer), a blessing or organise Te Wiki o Te Reo Māori (Māori Language Week) activities and celebrations. On the other side of the Tasman, Indigenous peoples are called on again and again to explain history to their workmates or bosses, making employees the resident expert on everything First Nations.
Applications open for two CA ANZ board directors
CA ANZ is seeking two suitably qualified candidates from within its membership, resident in Australia, to join the CA ANZ board in or around July 2026. The board currently comprises eight member directors and two non-member directors with a broad range of experience across academia, corporations (listed and unlisted), professional services firms, the public sector, and not-for-profit and member organisations.
Walking on air: Meet Nike's Alex Wills CA
After his second year at the University of Adelaide, Alex Wills CA boarded a plane for a summer camp in Maine. Wills was tossing up between doubling down on studying either accounting or marketing and thought a short spell teaching basketball to US teenagers would be just the break he needed. It turned out to be a career-defining move.
Why objectivity is a key facet of professional ethics
Objectivity is a key facet of professional ethics for accountants. Lapses in the application of this principle can expose members to legal consequences, including reputational harm, loss of clients, fines and serious professional disciplinary sanctions.
Simplify the rulebook, directors tell ASIC
Australia’s top company directors have a clear message for the corporate regulator: simplify the rulebook. Mounting compliance burdens and the sheer complexity of the Corporations Act are making board roles less attractive and deterring companies from going public, they warn.
Best books, videos and podcasts for CAs this summer
Taking a break or anticipating a quieter summer? Get inspired, relax and make the most of your downtime with this selection of videos, courses, podcasts, ebooks and audiobooks, some of which can contribute towards your verifiable or non-verifiable continuing professional development (CPD) hours.
Too old, too young: why ageism is bad for business
CA ANZ’s 2025 Members Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Survey Report identified ageism as the most common form of discrimination in the accounting profession. While the research shows most members feel they are valued and belong, and that both those factors are strongly correlated with job satisfaction, not everyone has the same experience of inclusion.
Dear abby career agony aunt column july 2025
5 min read Ever wondered how to help a teammate whose performance isn’t up to scratch? Or whether CPD can be completed during your working hours? In our most recent ‘agony aunt’ column, we ask the experts - managing director of Recruitment Experts, Michael Edelstein, and adviser at Ombpoint, Australia’s first independent workplace ombuds service, Holly Wilson for advice on these two common work queries. Read on to find out what they had to say.
Accountants and nature-related reporting
12 min read Quick take Beyond mandatory sustainability reporting, some organisations are choosing to report on their natural capital. This can take the form of a Taskforce on Nature-related Financial Disclosures report or natural capital report, identifying nature-related risks and opportunities for the company. The important step is to get started on measuring and understanding natural capital, and CAs at every level of a business can play a role.
How do I become a fellow of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand?
Throughout the profession, accountants are achieving great things. When their achievements are publicly recognised they can become role models, motivating and inspiring their colleagues. CA ANZ’s fellow chartered accountant (FCA) postnominals identify accountants who have made an outstanding contribution to the profession and the community – and Naomi Walsh FCA, CA ANZ Australian vice president, appreciates the scope of the award.
https://www.acuitymag.com/opinion/how-to-overcome-your-inner-critic/
10 min read In brief An inner critic can limit our lives by making us feel anxious and filled with self-doubt. We can turn the critic into an advocate by changing the messages from negative to positive. The potential for change is supported by neuroscience. Haven’t got time to read this story? Listen to it in audio format. Most of us have an inner voice that gives a running commentary on our lives, though we may not be aware of it.
Fractional CFOs: the flexible finance experts for SMEs
Haven’t got time to read this story? Listen to it in audio format. A reluctance to hire a full-time CFO doesn’t necessarily signal commitment issues or immaturity on the part of a business. In many cases, it’s a matter of cost – especially for companies navigating the precarious early stanzas of the startup experience. These self-same companies also can’t afford not to have the guidance of a CFO. This is one of many dilemmas SMEs can face and the outcome can decide the fate of a business.
Beyond limitations: How an ERP supports growth
For a business to grow it requires a combination of leadership, strategy and capabilities, but even with those elements in place, there’s often a missing link that can limit business potential. A unified technology platform is vital for a business to grow beyond its limits. Shubhra Gupta, senior practice manager – NetSuite at IT service management company Fusion5, says growth is often restricted by disparate systems.
July-September 2025 'Acuity' out now
Have you taken a look yet at CA ANZ’s 2026–2030 strategy, coming into effect on 1 July? We share some of achievements of the last strategic plan and discuss focus areas in the new plan, which include AI, sustainability and the profession’s talent pipeline. To this last point, our cover star, the multi-talented Ramis Ansari CA, is a great example of the doors an accounting career can open.
How to benefit from the 2025-2030 CA ANZ Professional Standards Scheme
Professional standards legislation and schemes are designed to improve professional standards and enhance consumer protection across accounting and other professions. The CA ANZ scheme, which applies to members in public practice in Australia, caps liability to an amount that reflects engagement fees. For example, if you’re a member in practice and have a client who paid A$5000 for tax advice and who is successful in a claim against you, your loss will be capped at A$2 million.
CA ANZ president's letter: July 2025 update
Kia ora koutou and hello. As I look around the globe and meet members, my resounding impression is that institutions of all types face unprecedented challenges in providing certainty and continuity. As I said at CA ANZ’s flagship Audit and Accounting Conference, political, social and regulatory landscapes are changing, and our profession is not immune.
National Reconciliation Week 2025
Every year, National Reconciliation Week is observed between 27 May and 3 June. These dates commemorate the overwhelmingly successful 1967 referendum, where 90.77% of Australians voted to change the constitution. This meant that Aboriginal people would be counted as part of the population and acknowledged as equal citizens, and that the Commonwealth would be able to make laws for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander people that had potential to assist in addressing inequalities.
Rice paddies to sheep stations: agricultural insurance across Asia Pacific
ANZIIF is the leading membership, training and professional development organisation for the insurance and finance industry in the Asia-Pacific region. We partner with a broad range of organisations and government to provide services that support professional excellence. We help enhance standards and improve community understanding of insurance and finance.
Should accountants keep their CA membership when retired?
Retiring from the paid workforce can be an exciting time, opening up myriad changes, decisions and opportunities. For CA ANZ members, retiring also raises the question of whether to maintain their membership with the professional organisation many have belonged to for decades. Being a CA means you are a part of a 139,000-plus global community dedicated to delivering world-class services with high ethical standards.
How to advance your career when working remotely
People who work remotely can sometimes feel unseen – and understandably concerned about falling off the promotion radar. But as a contributing employee, there are ways to make sure your boss knows about your good performance. Holly Rees, founder of Auckland firm Career Space, and Melbourne-based career coach Jackie Marsterson share their insights and tips for staying front of mind, even when you’re out of the office. 1.
Three TED Talks to promote work-life balance
For the past 22 years, global talent agency Ranstad has produced Workmonitor: a survey that explores the views of workers in Europe, Asia-Pacific and North America. In 2025, for the first time in the survey’s history, work-life balance surpassed pay as the leading motivator for employees (83% compared with 82%) – proving that workers are looking beyond their pay cheque for job fulfilment.
How the CA Advisory Group can help
Running a work-related issue past a colleague can sometimes be a quick and easy way to solve a problem, but when it comes to complex ethical issues or significant career choices, it’s important to ensure that the guidance you receive aligns with professional standards and values.
How to recover from burnout
On Christmas Day in 2014, instead of enjoying a festive lunch with her daughters and family, Kelly Walker CA was in the emergency ward of a hospital experiencing a burnout episode that set her heart pounding and, in effect, changed her life. “My heart just started thumping full-blown, like ‘boom, boom, boom, boom’,” she says. “I didn’t realise it was an adrenaline rush at the time, I didn’t know what was going on.
How to prepare for your first board role
You’re thinking about joining a board – what next? Simon Telfer, founder of Appoint Better Boards and Stimulus board advisory in New Zealand, and Lisa Cook, founder of Get on Board Australia, discuss the pros, cons and next steps. Why join a board? As a board member, you need to apply your finance, risk and accounting knowledge to challenges in a different environment and, often, an unfamiliar industry.
What a staff-centric restructure should look like
Restructures have a bad reputation and for good reason. They are usually associated with months of uncertainty followed by the termination of staff, damaging office culture in the process. There is another way. A culture of putting staff first in a restructure can have a range of benefits: more engaged employees, reduced turnover and higher ROI. But what does a staff-centred approach look like?
How to take negative feedback on board
Have you ever felt defensive when you’re receiving negative feedback? If so, you’re far from alone. “Defensiveness is a very normal biological and psychological response when we feel our integrity is under threat,” says Rachel Service, CEO of Happiness Concierge. She has identified five major threats that could trigger a defensive reaction in a feedback situation. Security: is my job safe? Status: is this going to change how others see me? Finances: is this going to affect my income?
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