It’s hard to believe it’s already the final month of autumn! This year is truly flying by! Despite ongoing concerns about AI, cost-of-living, and other challenges, a new study by payroll firm ADP reveals a surprising level of optimism among Australian workers. The study found 8 out of 10 Australians are confident about the future of work over the next five years. This optimism is particularly strong in sectors like IT & telecoms, construction, and finance. Accountants, take note! Unsurprisingly, those who enjoy flexible work environments report higher levels of optimism. In fact, New Zeala ..read more

Designed for both seasoned CFOs and those just starting out in the profession, the CFO Summit is the ultimate destination for finance leaders looking to stay ahead of the game and is set to make its triumphant return on Wednesday 15th May 2024. Now in its third year, the virtual Australian CFO Summit is a flagship community event that connects thousands of finance leaders throughout a one-day event. Founded by Weel in 2022, the Australian CFO Community has become a leading body for finance professionals looking to share knowledge and enhance their professional development. CFO Magazine A/NZ is ..read more

As capital markets navigated troubled waters in the past year, the fast-growing crowd-sourced funding industry remained a resilient source of equity, says Birchal CFO, Tim Steer.    While IPOs and venture capital markets tumbled during 2023, funds raised through crowd-sourced funding platforms held firm, bolstering the nascent industry’s position as a resilient source of equity for early stage businesses in Australia.  “Founders were able to continue raising capital throughout the year across the crowd-sourced funding industry,” says Tim Steer, CFO of Australia’s leading cr ..read more

In an iconic scene from Mission: Impossible, Tom Cruise enters a highly guarded vault hanging upside down from a ceiling cable so as not to touch the floor and trigger a myriad of alarms. Financial professionals navigating today’s tax rules can sympathise. Tax regulations are constantly changing and with the ongoing responsibilities of compliance, risk management and data management efficiencies, it’s a demanding space to be in. But there are many effective ways to make tax a mission entirely possible. In a recent CFO Magazine A/NZ Lunchtime Live WebCast, a panel of leading tax professionals d ..read more

Digital Transformation is often considered synonymous with Digital native organizations, i.e. Googles and Amazons of the world, or at most something to do with the ‘top end of town’ or ‘blue chip’, global multinationals. Small and Medium Enterprises (SMEs) tend to be sceptical about this as it is either seen as a cost and resource-intensive exercise or regarded as something that will not deliver enough value due to the relatively smaller size of the SME. When it comes to the Finance functions of such SMEs, it becomes an even bigger challenge owing to the limited budgets and lean teams of a sup ..read more

In many of my other columns, I have touched on the subject of the above relationship, but what happens when things go wrong and who takes responsibility? The CFO takes responsibility for the financial statements, financial processes and the relationship with the auditors.  The CFO also manages the Audit Committee and, in many instances the enterprise and operational risk, and serves as the Audit Committee’s connection to the financial part of the organisation. The Audit Committee Chair, usually an independent member of the Board of Directors, tries to ensure that the CFO and finance team ..read more

Transformative finance leader, Sharon Markulin has this week been announced as Finance Director APAC, Sazerac Company. Sharon will be Sydney based, working alongside the businesses Asian and global teams. Founded in 1850, Sazerac Company is one of the world’s largest distilled spirits companies offering premium brands such as Buffalo Trace, Eagle Rare, Weller, Wheatley Vodka, Pappy Van Winkle, Southern Comfort, 99 brands and Fireball. Since the 2000s, Sazerac has averaged double digit growth every year. Sazerac Company has thrived as an independent, American family-owned company with operation ..read more

With a long track record of exceeding expectations, Queensland based CFO, Charles Berry brings a unique perspective from ballet into the business world. By Nina Hendy. Touring the most famous opera houses in the world and performing at an elite level as a ballet dancer certainly kept Charles Berry on his toes. But an injury ended his dancing career prematurely, forcing retirement from a career he loved in his 20s. At the time, he had the world at his feet. Born in Ottawa, Canada, Berry graduated from the National Ballet School and joined the renowned Stuttgart Ballet, enjoying an illustrious ..read more

James Solomons, Global CFO, Xref had the opportunity to sit down with Phil McKay, CFO at ASSA ABLOY Opening Solutions – Pacific & Northeast Asia for the first edition of ’10 Minutes Talking Tech’ Having had the privilege to speak with literally hundreds of CFOs over the past five years, I have realised that CFOs love to learn from one another when it comes to technology – The selections and options are vast and time poor CFOs want to avoid costly mistakes or steep learning curves. As such, this is the first edition of ‘10 Minutes Talking Tech’, where I connect with a dynamic CFO to unders ..read more

Last month, the Bill that will usher in what the Australian Institute of Company Directors has labelled ‘the most significant shift in corporate reporting in a generation,‘ was tabled in Parliament. The mandatory climate-related financial disclosure regime, which is proposed to begin from 1 January 2025, sees Australian-based CFOs enter a pivotal period. Beyond obligations to help organisations prepare for compliance with new laws, CFOs face a significant leadership opportunity.  An opportunity to help organisations expedite investment in sustainable transformation to build business resil ..read more