It is a pleasure to commence an ongoing conversation with fellow members via this column. I emphasise the word 'conversation' because I hope to stimulate discussion and feedback.
CPA Australia is a very different organisation from the one I joined in 1984. Expectations and aspirations have broadened. Today, we are all looking for dialogue rather than directives, and knowledge rather than simply information.
Our outgoing president, Paul Meiklejohn, certainly recognised this shift and I want to thank him for his outstanding contribution in leading a ground-breaking governance change for the organisation.
The new governance framework ushers in a new era for CPA Australia, with a strengthened focus on delivering member value, professional and public policy thought leadership, and a more personal connection with local communities.
CPA Australia's membership has become more diverse and far-flung, working in 98 different countries. We are now a mature and sizeable organisation of world citizens, supporting members wherever they are professionally.
I am enormously proud of our international breadth and world view, and I take every opportunity to tell people that we are a broad and strong fellowship. I urge you to do the same. The support, connections and collective influence this fellowship brings is a valuable asset professionally, and a powerful counterpoint to the isolating forces that can be experienced in the general community.
Just as our membership is a microcosm of the world, our board is a microcosm of the membership. Promoting our international culture starts with us, and appointing two deputy presidents who are located outside Australia illustrates that. Low Weng Keong was born in Malaysia and has led a successful professional career in London and now Singapore. Richard Petty was born in Canada, grew up in Sydney and now resides in Hong Kong. I look forward to them representing CPA Australia with me and to working with my fellow directors.
Given the growing global demand for accountants and the different learning and communication expectations of the new generation of professionals, I believe it's essential that we are forward thinking and responsive to emerging situations and members' needs.
One of my priorities will be working with the board and management to further develop relationships with a range of government, business, educational and community organisations with the aim of opening doors for our members and promoting their skills. We have much to do, for example, in developing high-level relationships with recruitment and search firms, the traditional gatekeepers for the executive roles often sought by our members.
I particularly want to engage more with the community about what accountants do. I want to promote the flexibility of career choice that accounting offers, the fact that it provides an entrée to working in many different sectors, that it's literally recession-proof and eternally relevant. I want parents to see our advertisements and recognise the career opportunities for their children.
When people are looking to make mid-career changes, I want them to think accounting.
