Public practice excellence award open for business

This article was current at the time of publication.

Applications for the Murray Wyatt award for public practice excellence are now open and close 15 March 2024. 

Nominate a colleague, or enter yourself, for the chance to winning a A$1500 Flight Centre voucher and a free ticket to this year’s Public Practice Retreat in Lorne, Victoria, where the winner will be formally announced before an audience of your peers. 

Murray Wyatt FCPA was chair of Melbourne firm Morrows and passed away unexpectedly in mid-2021, aged 69. He was a strong advocate for CPA Australia members and more broadly, the accounting profession.

He took an active role in mentoring the next generation of public practitioners, adopting a forward-looking mindset that readied him for the next opportunity or challenge being faced within the public practice community. 

Who should apply?

Each year the award recognises a CPA Australia member who is a public practitioner, early in their career, residing and practising in Australia or New Zealand, who displays Murray’s key characteristics of innovation, a progressive mindset and importantly being an advocate for their public practice community. 

Past winners

Jonathan Maharaj FCPA was the inaugural winner of the award. The founder and CEO of New Zealand-based practice Aurora Financials  was chosen for his passionate and purposeful approach. He is passionate about helping clients grow their business, telling their story better, and achieving best practice in their businesses. 

In 2022 he told INPRACTICE: “I love connecting with people and helping them achieve [their goals]. That’s what gets me up every morning – rather than filing tax returns.”

Last year’s winner, Hannah Griffits CPA, an accountant at Queensland firm Moore Lewis & Partners, was singled out for mentoring junior staff who are studying the CPA program by assisting them in setting objectives and developing individual study plans.

How to apply

Eligible nominees must be members in good standing with CPA or FCPA designations. They must hold a Public Practice Certificate with CPA Australia or be an employee working in public practice.

The full selection criteria and the nomination form can be found here.