31 December marks ten years since the amalgamation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants to create Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ).

Tim Gullifer who was President of ICAA at the time said that members who voted in favour of the union did so because they saw the need for a stronger regional voice for our designation.

“We could see that combining the might of both institutions would create a stronger membership body that was better positioned to meet future global challenges and opportunities,” Mr Gullifer said.

“We framed this around three vital pillars of pre-eminence, relevance and reach. We needed the resources to deliver relevant products and services within a fast-changing world, and to extend our knowledge and influence across the world.

“Thinking about all the substantive change that has transpired in the last ten years, it’s clear that amalgamation has left us better able to protect and enhance the pre-eminence of the Chartered Accountant designation on both sides of the Tasman, and further across Asia, London and other parts of the world,” Mr Gullifer said.

“Few of us will never forget the magnificent way we confronted a global pandemic together, leading our communities with the kind of innovative thinking and superior analytical skills that CAs are known for. We helped others to face those hard years with the CA high standard of ethics and business acumen.

By coming together in 2014, our members had the foresight to create a powerful brand and an efficient, cost-effective institute. We’ve advocated strongly on the issues that matter to our members, including bold and visible action in key areas like tax, audit and assurance, and regulation.

CA ANZ Chair, John Palermo, said that thanks to the foresight of members from both sides of the Tasman, the combined body has navigated increased competition for new entrants into the profession, a fragile geopolitical and macro-economic environment, and significant opportunities such as AI and sustainability.

“By coming together in 2014, our members had the foresight to create a powerful brand and an efficient, cost-effective institute. We’ve advocated strongly on the issues that matter to our members, including bold and visible action in key areas like tax, audit and assurance, and regulation.

“The combined resources and expertise of our people on both sides of the Tasman means we’re better positioned to advocate for the profession, influence policy and deliver better professional development opportunities for our members.

“On the global stage we are strongly represented at the International Federation of Accountants, the Global Accounting Alliance and Chartered Accountants Worldwide. They continue to be incredibly interested in our dynamic approach to tackling the critical shortage of accountants – confirming that our Make Epic Things Happen campaign really is world-class,” Mr Palermo said.

CEO of CA ANZ, Ainslie van Onselen, said that ten years on, the opportunities for CAs are only increasing.

“Sustainability reporting and the potential for AI requires great training and CPD to help members step into leadership positions in virtually every economic sector.

“Underpinning the pre-eminence of the CA designation is CA ANZ’s world class CA Program and over the past ten years, we have reimagined the CA program – driven by leading CAs and subject matter experts from both sides of the Tasman.

“Their expertise has enriched our education programs. As an example, New Zealand was years ahead on ESG reporting and tapping into that experience has enabled Australia to better grapple with the same issues,” Ms van Onselen said.

“Another important driver of the amalgamation ten years ago was the promise to deliver savings and efficiencies for members. Our digital transformation is an excellent example of that efficiency in action – rationalising a multitude of disparate and dated systems into an integrated and secure platform for member services and information,” she said.

“Ten years on, CA ANZ’s people continue to learn from each other’s experiences to the absolute benefit of all our members. Like those who ensured the amalgamation was successful in 2014, today’s CA ANZ people work tirelessly to deliver a world class member experience,” she said.