ITB December 2024/January 2025 - Magazine - Page 24
“We want a dose of scepticism. We also need a critical
mind when interpreting and communicating data, and
I don’t think those core DNA attributes will change.”
Mary Dunkley FCPA, Swinburne University of Technology
FUTURE SKILL S
or some other fancy acronym, to describe the fact
that you actually understand how the business works
and how everything ties together.”
Recruiter Michael Edelstein CPA, who specialises
in senior placements within accounting firms across
Australia, anticipates that the CFO role will “continue
to exist for a long time yet”.
“That role will expand, as it has over many
decades, from simple financial management
to more of a strategic role and the more recent
focus on automation and digital projects,” he says.
“Net-zero and other regulatory obligations represent
yet another evolution of the CFO role, whereby their
scope will need to be more holistic as governments
prioritise environmental, social and governance
(ESG) targets. So, their knowledge and skills will
need upgrading.”
ACCOUNTING FOR NET ZERO
One of the challenges for CFOs, according
to Edelstein, will be balancing profit and business
growth objectives while ensuring they adhere
to sustainability regulations and disclosures.
Professor Hadrian Geri Djajadikerta, accounting
discipline lead in the Faculty of Business and Law
at Curtin University, says that as automation
and AI handle structured tasks, new accounting
roles will shift to data analysis, financial modelling
and strategic advisory. He says the roles will also
reflect the further integration of ESG metrics into
financial reporting and assurance.
“With blockchain and digital assets rising,
accountants will also tackle challenges like auditing
decentralised ledgers and managing digital
currencies,” he says.
In a net-zero economy, Djajadikerta expects
more hires for sustainability accountants and
ESG data analysts as companies seek to improve
measuring and reporting of their social and
environmental impacts, while chief sustainability
officers (CSOs) will have more power.
24 INTHEBLACK Dec 2024/Jan 2025 SPECIAL EDITION
