This podcast looks at ways to gain traction with your financial analysis and communications to deliver compelling commercial proposals and positive business outcomes. Following on from a popular keynote at CPA Congress in Brisbane and Melbourne, Brendan Hargreaves CPA, Divisional General Manager at Cleanaway, teaches us ways to transform our financial presentations and communications to make them more accessible and impactful to all stakeholders in an attempt to help you do less, but influence more.

Do start-ups innovate better than corporates? Yes - they do! Why do so few corporates have a strategy for external innovation to harness disruption? What brands are doing this well around the world? What's the solution and how can we create a process so that both sides achieve amazing commercial outcomes? Karen dares to show you how.

To gain a competitive career edge, it’s important to make learning an ongoing part of your professional development. Conferences are short and practical opportunities to learn new information and make valuable contacts. Rob Thomason, Executive General Manager Education at CPA Australia shares his insights on developing a strategy to maximise your investment and experience.

Part two of a seven part podcast series with Jason Cunningham CPA about the seven key ingredients of business success which is based on Jason’s book Have Your Cake and Sell It Too. Today’s topic explores the importance of understanding your business, including the development of a mission statement and gaining clarity into exactly WHY you are in business.

How to have a healthy work life balance – understanding work, family and other commitments and how to get the right balance at different stages of your life.  How important is it to establish boundaries (at work and at home) and what sort of support do we need to make it possible?

With the occurrence of financial abuse only increasing, it is vital to ensure that your practice is not only aware of potential instances of abuse but also is prepared to deal with them. This podcast will highlight the importance of increasing your understanding of this issue and offer some simple tips on how to implement policies within your practice.

Host: Richard Blakeman FCPA, Retired, Victorian Divisional Councillor - CPA Australia

Guest: Stephen Jones FCPA, Partner, ATM Consultants Pty Ltd

Guest: Anna Tantau CPA, Senior Manager, SEIVA Business

In this podcast representatives from both the AFL Players Association and Hall and Wilcox Lawyers talk to CPA Australia’s Head of Policy about the ATO’s draft public consultative guideline on the tax treatment of payments for use and exploitation of a professional sportsperson's public fame or image. The draft public consultative guideline pragmatically offers a safe harbour for certain sportspeople, and if fully adopted it will help cut a swathe through tax red tape for both the players and ATO.

Today's CPA Australia Podcast will explore ethical dilemmas and the implications of directors' duties with Dr John Purcell FCPA, Policy Adviser ESG at CPA Australia. His guest today is Niamh Brennan, Michael MacCormac Professor of Management at the University College of Dublin.

Part 1 of a 7 part podcast series with Jason Cunningham, CPA about The 7 Key Ingredients of Business Success which is based on Jason’s book Have Your Cake and Sell it too. Today’s topic will explore how strategy plays a part in how to create a successful business including discussing what is strategy and how to create a strategic plan. 

A discussion with Melville Yates, the director for reporting and red tape reduction at the ACNC about the recent achievements of the ACNC in red tape reduction.  The discussion considers recent changes to laws and regulations in some States and Territories that will result in more streamlined compliance requirements for charities and other NFPs.  We also consider the future plans of the ACNC as it continues to work towards fulfilling its objective of reducing red tape for charities.

Craig Blair, who is responsible for oversight of SMSF Auditors at the ATO, talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about the ATO’s SMSF auditor compliance program findings for the 2016-2017 year. Craig discusses the outcomes from the ATO’s focus on low cost auditors and sole practitioners who provide both tax advice or accounting services to SMSFs as well as the audit. He also identifies the ATO’s focusses for 2017/2018, how the ATO is identifying high risk auditors and highlights ways in which the ATO are seeking to work co-operatively with SMSF trustees and their auditors. The recent Super changes present new risks for SMSF auditors, including low cost SMSF audits that are seen as high risk by the ATO and may trigger an inspection. Craig explains what auditors need to look out for in their 30 June 2017 year end audits. 

Host: Claire Grayston, Policy Adviser - Audit & Assurance, CPA Australia

Guest: Craig Blair, Director - Superannuation, ATO

In this episode we hear from motivational speaker, author and mind coach, Anthony Bonnici, who helps us take the complexity and fear out of influence. Dale Carnegie wrote How to Win Friends & Influence People in 1936. A lot has changed in the 80 years since that book was written, but people still need to influence others. We need to sell things. We need to persuade people. We need to get our point across. Anthony was sick of people thinking that influence skills were a “soft” skill. Tired of people associating some out of date, “used car salesman” association of influence and persuasion as tacky or subversive. Frustrated by witnessing really intelligent people fall flat on their face when they attempted to get their point across. This episode will provide insights, knowledge and skills to influence broadly, authentically and purposefully.

A great illustration for rational arguments can be found in the dying minutes of a World Cup soccer final – imagine you’re selected to kick for goal in a penalty shootout to decide the game. Where do you aim? Left? Right? Or the centre? Before you decide let’s look at the facts. Statistical data tell us that if you kick the ball to the left, the goalie will jump to his right, thus blocking your shot, 57 per cent of the time. If you kick the ball to the right, the goalie will be there 41 per cent of the time. But, if you choose to kick it to the centre, the same stats show that the goalie will only be there 2 per cent of the time. So where do you kick the ball? The centre, where the odds are clearly in you favour? Most don’t, with only 17 per cent of penalty goals kicked to the centre. In business we have to choose where to kick the ball. But, even when we’re armed with the facts we don’t always follow rational arguments.

Presenter: Bri Williams CPA, Principal Consultant, People Patterns

Recorded at CPA Australia Congress on Monday 29 September, 2014 in Sydney, NSW.

Chair of the Black Economy Taskforce, Michael Andrew, talks with CPA Australia following the release of the taskforce’s interim report which is now out for comment.  The black economy refers to people who operate entirely outside the tax and regulatory system or who are known to the authorities but do not correctly report their tax obligations.  Participation in the black economy penalises honest taxpayers, undermines the integrity of Australia's tax and welfare systems and creates an uneven playing field for the majority of small businesses doing the right thing.  As the economy changes in nature towards being a more services based economy, the Taskforce is reporting seeing an acceleration in the Black Economy with significant ramifications for the broader tax system.

Doug Niven at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about ASIC’s audit inspection findings for the 18 month period to December 2016, released in June 2017. Doug highlights ASIC’s key findings on audit files and firms’ quality control systems, which identifies the areas which firms can focus on in order to improve audit quality. He explains which firms are inspected, ASIC’s own quality processes and how ASIC’s findings are reviewed prior to release. He also identifies initiatives for firms to improve audit quality and the work being done internationally on tackling audit quality

Managing teams that work in, or come from, other parts of the world can present many challenges. This podcast will cover some tips to addressing issues around diversity and conflict, as well as how to succeed when work takes you across borders.

Presented by:
Pablo Benitez CPA, Victorian Corporate Committee of CPA Australia
Dr Martijn Van der Kamp, Teaching Fellow, Monash Business School

Host: Ram Subramanian, Policy Adviser on Reporting, CPA Australia

Guest: Doug Niven, Senior Executive leader, Financial Reporting and Audit, ASIC

Doug Niven at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission talks to Ram Subramanian at CPA Australia about ASIC’s focus areas for the financial report surveillance program for 30 June 2017 financial reports of listed entities and other entities of public interest. Doug discusses in detail the reason for ASIC’s key focus areas and how companies can respond to these focus areas, which include impairment testing, revenue recognition, expense deferral, off-balance sheet arrangements, tax accounting, disclosure of estimates and accounting policies and the impact of the new accounting standards. Doug also talks about industry focusses, digital disruption, enhanced auditors reports, client monies and the operating and financial review.

Host: Claire Grayston, Policy Adviser on Audit & Assurance, CPA Australia

Guest: Doug Niven, Senior Executive leader, Financial Reporting and Audit, ASIC

Doug Niven at the Australian Securities and Investment Commission talks to Claire Grayston at CPA Australia about ASIC’s audit inspection findings for the 18 month period to December 2016, released in June 2017. Doug highlights ASIC’s key findings on audit files and firms’ quality control systems, which identifies the areas which firms can focus on in order to improve audit quality. He explains which firms are inspected, ASIC’s own quality processes and how ASIC’s findings are reviewed prior to release. He also identifies initiatives for firms to improve audit quality and the work being done internationally on tackling audit quality.

An overview of the new accounting standard for insurance contracts, how this will affect the insurance industry and the global capital markets.

Following the release of the 2017 budget on Tuesday 9 May 2017, Stuart Dignam, General Manager Policy and Corporate Affairs at CPA Australia, is joined by his colleague Paul Drum, Head of Policy to discuss the finer points of Treasurer Scott Morrison’s second budget in more detail: What is the expected economic impact over coming years? How realistic is the Australian government’s optimism about GDP growth? Are we too reliant on world growth to support our own prosperity? Have the structural issues in our economy been effectively addressed?

Continuing the focus on the July 2017 super changes, what are the implications for transition to retirement income streams and reversionary pensions?

From 1 July 2017, there will be a $1.6 million cap on the total amount of accumulated superannuation an individual can transfer into the tax–free retirement phase.  What are the implications for SMSFs with regard to segregation of assets and CGT relief?

From 1 July 2016, all accountants are required to be covered by an AFS licence to give financial advice about SMSFs.  During 2017 ASIC will be undertaking surveillance of accountants both licensed and unlicensed to test accountants compliance with the new obligations.

Imagine working behind the scenes at the biggest tennis tournament in the Asia Pacific region – the Australian Open in Melbourne. That is exactly what Vivien Lei did at the 2017 event after she was awarded CPA Australia’s Australian Open Work Experience opportunity through the CPA Australia Network. In this podcast, she speaks with CPA Australia’s Content Manager Jarrod Cardy about the experience, what she learnt and her advice for future applicants.

This video podcast will discuss the following topics such as what are the new and emerging technical skills that NFP Boards will be considering as part of their skills matrix over the next 5 years. Also as a CPA who has excellent financial skills, what other skills should I consider developing to make myself ready to join a NFP Board?.

Also how many NFP Board Directors are sitting at the table on a voluntary basis. How can NFPs attract and retain highly-skilled Directors?. What is the leadership required on the Board to keep Directors engaged and therefore enhance Board performance? And finally if NFPs remunerate Directors, will this enhance Board accountability, engagement and effectiveness?