Statement from the Board 14 December 2018

1. Independent Review Panel Recommendations

One of our main areas of focus has been to implement the recommendations from the Independent Review Panel’s Final report handed down on 30 November 2017.

A status update on the recommendations of the Independent Review has been published and can be viewed on the website. Members are encouraged to view the document.

In the year since the Independent Review provided its final report, CPA Australia’s Directors have been able to meet and discuss issues relevant to CPA Australia with thousands of members face to face. The Board also regularly receives correspondence from members on various issues.

The Board would like to thank all the members who have shared their views and looks forward to continuing the open communication.

2. Strategy Progress

Since launching our strategy in August, CPA Australia has been progressively putting into action the initiatives that will help us achieve our six strategic goals. Some of the major initiatives and projects already underway include: 

• launching a new campaign across various media channels to highlight the benefits of becoming a CPA
• commencing a member journey mapping project to help us improve value and service to members at each stage of their membership journey
• investing in technology and systems to improve the online enrolment experience
• assembling and curating our range of complimentary CPD options on a dedicated website page where members can fulfil all their CPD requirements
• introducing in 2019 a new streamlined pricing structure for our CPD products that will see reductions in price for members across a wide range of learning resources
• increasing our policy and advocacy work to include commentary on policy issues that matter most to members. 

Details about these initiatives and other projects underway are available on a dedicated strategy progress page on the website. We will communicate our progress on the strategy through updates such as this as well as in our regular publications; CPA Update, CPA Tax News and INPRACTICE.

The Board is encouraged by the progress so far, but we understand we are just three months into a three-year year project. To help us deliver on these goals, we have put in place a new executive management team and introduced a new organisation structure.

The Board has also recently approved a set of key performance indicators (KPIs) to track and measure our progress on each of the goals. The KPIs are now available on the website and will be reported to members through the 2018 Integrated Annual Report.

3. World Congress of Accountants

In November, CPA Australia was proud to co-host the World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) 2018 with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, and to welcome the world’s leading accounting and finance experts to Australia.

This was a significant event for the global profession and attracted close to 6000 of the world’s leading accounting and finance experts to Sydney – including more than 1000 CPA Australia members. Delegates discussed the major issues affecting the future of the accounting profession and heard from an impressive line-up of keynote speakers.

Our coverage of WCOA is available on our website and includes feature articles on the topics discussed, plus interviews with some of the special guests who attended the conference.

4.Editorial Appointments for Australian Accounting Review 

The Board is pleased to appoint Dr Bryan Howieson PhD FCPA FAFAANZ and Professor Michael Bradbury PhD FCA FAFAANZ CMA MRSNZ as joint editors-in-chief of Australian Accounting Review (AAR) – a quarterly, peer-reviewed journal offering critical analysis of topics affecting finance, accounting and business professionals.

Dr Howieson is Associate Professor in the School of Accounting and Finance at the University of Adelaide and Prof. Bradbury is a Research Professor of Accounting at Massey University in New Zealand. Both have published extensively in a range of academic and professional journals. They will commence the role with AAR on 1 January 2019. Dr Howieson is currently a member of the South Australia Divisional Council, a role which ceases on 31 December 2018.

A great deal of work is underway at CPA Australia and we look forward to making further progress implementing our strategic initiatives throughout 2019.

The Board wishes you all the best for the festive season and a safe and happy new year.

Peter Wilson AM FCPA
President and Chair
On behalf of CPA Australia’s Board of Directors