On Thursday 28 November 2024, the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) Brisbane community gathered to celebrate the achievements of its provisional members at our bi-annual Merit Awards evening. The event, honoured those who achieved grades in the top 5% of their subjects in recent studies,showcasing the hard work and dedication of these exceptional individuals.

We were fortunate to be joined by Tinashe Kamangira FCA, 2024 CA ANZ President and Jillian Richards FCA, Queensland Regional Council Chair who co-hosted the evening with Mark Doorly, CA ANZ Queensland Regional Manager. Both Tinashe and Jillian delivered inspiring speeches, highlighting the importance of perseverance, commitment, and the continuous pursuit of excellence in the field of accounting. Their words resonated with the audience, emphasizing the significant impact that these newly recognized professionals will have within the industry.

Attendees were treated to a night of celebration and appreciation, with the spotlight firmly on the awardees. We also had guest speaker Brittany Morgan CA, Chair of the Queensland Young Chartered Accountants Panel, who shared some insightful words of wisdom as someone who not too long ago achieved her CA designation. Each recipient was presented with their Merit Certificate in front of an audience of their guests, peers, and CA ANZ representatives. The atmosphere was filled with pride and joy as the achievements of these talented individuals were recognized and applauded. The event provided a perfect opportunity for networking, allowing attendees to connect with industry leaders and fellow professionals.

The 2024 Merit Awards evening was a resounding success, highlighting the importance of recognizing and celebrating academic excellence. It served as a reminder of the continuous pursuit of knowledge and the value of hard work in achieving professional goals. Congratulations to all the awardees for their remarkable achievements! This night will undoubtedly be remembered as a significant milestone in their careers and a testament to their dedication and perseverance.

Congratulations to the Term Two and Term Three recipients of 2024:

Term 2, 2024

National Top of Subject: Kishan Burns-Pillay, Financial Accounting and Reporting

• Ishmum Akram, Tax (AU)
• Maria Christianette Bagarino, Financial Modelling
• Campbell Baldwin, Audit and Risk / Term 3 Integrated Chartered Accounting Practice
• Daphne Cheng, Audit & Risk 
• Casper Clark-Ryan, Integrated Chartered Accounting Practice
• Daisy Dai, Integrated Chartered Accounting Practice
• Zoey Ding , Audit and Risk
• Ken Kwok, Financial Accounting and Reporting
• Benjamin Leech, Audit and Risk
• Kelly Ma, Financial Modelling
• Katherine Malanos, Risk and Technology / Term 3 - Financial Accounting and Reporting
• Aspynn Moran, Risk and Technology
• Karina Naidu, Strategy and Performance
• Tom Noon, Tax (AU) / Term 3 - Business Performance
• Kim Pham, Tax (AU)
• April Roobottom, Strategy and Performance / Term 3 -Business Performance
• Sarah Robinson, Audit and Risk
• Jeremy Saju, Audit and Risk / Term 3 - Business Performance
• Pranav Soni, Strategy and Performance
• Stamatia Simonidis, Tax (AU)
• Bill Thompson, Strategy and Performance
• Aubrey Anjila Villanueva, Financial Modelling
• Cheyenne White, Audit and Risk
• Brendan Wilson, Tax (AU)
• Rae Wong , Tax (AU) / Term 3 - Financial Accounting and Reporting
• Candice Yang, Risk and Technology

Term 3, 2024

• Miranda Chan, Audit and Risk
• Emilia Cipressi, Data Analytics and Insights
• Natarssja Cockett, Business Performance
• Amitha Gottumukkala, Business Performance
• Rachel McGrath, Business Performance
• Gemma Oldfield, Sustainability For Accountants
• Alexander Penellum, Data Analytics and Insights
• Lexy Schwarting, Financial Accounting and Reporting
• Bronte Shiels, Risk and Technology
• Eugenie Thomas, Data Analytics and Insights
• Elle Tran, Risk and Technology