Dear Members, 

Congratulations on nearly reaching the end of what I hope has been another successful year. 

2022 has been a year of revival for many people and industries across the state as we slowly return to ‘normal’ after the lifting of COVID restrictions. 

From a personal perspective, the end of 2022 also marks the end of my tenure as Chair of CA ANZ’s Tasmanian Council, and I thought I’d take the opportunity to reflect on a few highlights over that time. 

It has been a real honour to lead the Council and represent the Tasmanian membership over the last two years.  

When I stepped into the role in early 2021, the impact of the pandemic was presenting a whole host of new challenges for Chartered Accountants in business and public practice.  

Our role as trusted advisors had perhaps never been more important, and we were the go-to for many businesses and individuals who were facing great uncertainty. 

COVID also threw a spanner in the works when it came to meetings and engagement, with the sudden shift to online catch-ups forcing a change in how we interacted. 

Since restrictions have lifted, the Tasmanian Council made a real focus of reconnecting face-to-face with members whenever we could, and undoubtedly one of the best parts of my role as Chair has been the regular opportunities to meet and engage with members right across the state.  

This included bringing a Tasmanian Council meeting to my home region on the north-west coast for the first time since I’ve been a member, and having a dinner with local members to hear first-hand about their experiences of being a CA on the coast. 

From an advocacy perspective, I have also found it highly fulfilling to work with the national CA ANZ tax experts to push the case for better tax policies for our state, and our members, which has included regular conversations with both sides of Tasmanian politics. 

A particularly satisfying achievement was our involvement in providing guidance to the Tasmanian Government regarding last year’s Land Tax Amendment Bill, which resulted in improved outcomes for members who were facing unnecessary burdens under the previous settings. 

Another important role of Council is engaging with prospective members and students to ensure there is a strong generation of young CAs coming through to continue providing the benefits our collective membership can offer Tasmania. 

On this note, I’m proud that CA ANZ has been able to help the Young Professionals Network of Tasmania get back up and running, giving our young members the opportunity to connect with a wide range of professionals and build strong networks to keep the CA designation strong in the local business environment. 

Before I sign off for the last time, I’d like to congratulate Bo Xu for his appointment as the next Chair of the Tasmanian Council. Bo has been a valued member of Council for close to three years now, and brings a wide-reaching business advisory and strategic development skillset to the role.  

Bo will be ably assisted by David Kewley, who has been elected as Vice-Chair and will no doubt continue his passionate advocacy for members and the profession more broadly. 

Thanks again for the opportunity to Chair the Tasmanian Council on behalf of Tasmania’s CAs.  

I’m looking forward to continuing to watch the progress of our collective membership as our profession becomes increasingly diverse, and have no doubt that there are exciting times ahead for CAs across the state. 

Kind regards, 

 
Mark Leis FCA

Chair - Tasmania Council