INTHEBLACK December 2025 / January 2026 - Magazine - Page 22
What advice do you have regarding staying ahead
of emerging trends and new technologies?
Find time for professional development across
multiple components — technical, interpersonal
and future career. CPA Australia provides this, as do
many external companies.
I would also encourage finance professionals to join
one of the many committees, councils or centres
of excellence in the industry. This will bring you in
direct contact with other members, many of whom
are thought leaders in their respective specialties.
WAYNE STOKES FCPA
Non-executive director, Port Authority of
New South Wales and City West Housing
MEMBER PROFILE
Former CFO and senior vice-president
of business development Asia,
Carnival Corporation Australia
What core values or traits have most influenced
your leadership approach?
Openness, curiosity and care. Openness is crucial
for a senior executive, because you are constantly
working with all parts of the business, including the
board. People need to feel comfortable that you
are approachable and reliable — it is the only way
to build trust.
With curiosity, remember that you’re a key guardian
of the business, and you can only fulfil that task if
you’re genuinely curious about the internal workings
of the business and the external market.
Care comes in different guises. For example,
CFOs have a level of care around employees,
and there is also an expectation for employees to
care about their role and performance. But “care”
shouldn’t be construed as being soft. I’m firm, but
also incredibly fair, and that is the balance you’ve
got to find.
How do you perform your role effectively
while coping with highly stressful corporate
environments?
Balance — which entails a solid dose of professional
focus, personal relationships and a healthy mind and
body. One week it might be all about work, another
week could see a focus on family and friends, and the
next might be all about health.
In terms of performing well on the job, a colleague
recently told me to treat feedback as a gift and don’t
take it to heart.
22 INTHEBLACK Dec 2025/Jan 2026 SPECIAL EDITION
How do you convey challenging feedback
to an employee without damaging morale?
There is a step before feedback! As a leader,
you need to take time to build rapport and trust
with employees by having the one-to-ones and
getting to know the individual. When you then
need to give feedback, both positive and negative,
it will generally be provided and received with much
more openness.
What mentors have influenced you?
There are two: the late Albert Aiello, an ex-board
member of Lendlease, and Ann Sherry, former CEO
of Carnival Corporation Australia and current
chancellor of the Queensland University of
Technology. Both helped me significantly, improving
my thought processes and ability to prepare succinct
board papers. They also pushed me to take on
a broader remit both functionally and geographically.
Perhaps most importantly, they convinced me
to champion my skill set within their respective
organisations. We all need a leader to support
and nurture our careers.
Do you have any other advice you’d like to share?
The accounting professional is here to stay.
Our remit will continue to broaden and evolve.
Be your authentic self, be astute in your interactions
and bring care and ethics to the table. ●
UPSKILL
with CPA
Australia’s range
of online courses
READ
an article about
what great
leaders do
differently
LISTEN
to a podcast
episode about
ethical leadership
