MELBOURNE – DAY ONEWRAP UP

Monday 12th October, 2015

Paul BloxhamChief Economist, HSBC

Economic possibilities – Australia and abroad

Key Points to remember:In recent times we have seen an unprecedented level of transition in global and Australian economic markets.

The economy continues to perform better than most people realise.

However, what does the future hold for Australia and abroad? Paul will explore the pressure points and opportunities that lie ahead for the US, Eurozone, Asian and Australian economies.

About the session:

The US economy is recovering and the Federal Reserve may lift interest rates.

The Chinese economy is slowing but is still the fastest growing economy in the world at 7 per cent. To grow the Australia economy the Government needs to focus on: • tax reform - make it less reliant on personal and income tax• regulatory reform - make it simple as it's too complex• infrastructure - if we continue to have population growth

Future predictions:• In the next year GDP will grow to around 2.3 or 2.4 per cent and

lift to 2.8 per cent next year • The RBA probably won't deliver any more interest rate cuts • The Australian dollar will stay around 70 cents for the next year

Alex Malley FCPAChief Executive, CPA Australia

The future of the profession

In a rapidly changing world, the need for innovative strategies is essential for the accounting profession to maintain its leadership relevance. And if the accounting profession is to stay relevant, CPA Australia must also.

Through pioneering thinking, CPA Australia has revolutionised its reputation, influence and relevance within the broader community, while maintaining its traditional values.

Creating a dialogue based on trust between CPA Australia and tomorrow’s leaders is not only helping to future-proof the organisation, but also the profession as a whole.

In this keynote session, Alex Malley will provide his outlook on the profession and the critical leadership role CPA Australia and its members will continue to play.

Key Points to remember:About the session:CPA Australia is a big organisation with 155,000 members but we do all we can to be personal and take the brand into places it's never been before.

Our vision is to be the best member services organisation in the world.

How we are going about it: • Leadership - act in the public interest and on

behalf of CPA Australia members• Disruption - it's not just about technology,

it's about attitude• Entertainment - use the power of

engagement to create an emotional connection with the CPA designation

• Education - build the organisation with a “teacher” mindset

Greg StentonChief Finance Officer, Victorian Department of Health and Human Services

“More tears than new ideas”

Description:

How to achieve savings and make cost effective change in the Public Sector.Cost management is a key component of the finance manager's role in any organisation.

This session will work through the challenges of achieving sustainable savings and cost management, and how you can practically implement measures that will impact your financial and overall business performance.

In this session you will learn the changing requirements on today’s finance functions in the public sector, cost management and savings approaches that will enable more effective and informed decision-making, and balancing the day-to-day accounting and compliance needs with value-adding decision support.

About the session:

Craig TempletonPrinciple, Cyber Security Research, ANZ Banking Group

Cyber is the new black

Cyber has gone mainstream. There’s not a week goes by that the news isn’t filled with stories about cyber-crime and data breaches. Mega trends such as the adoption of social media, big data, cloud computing and increasingly artificial intelligence, coupled with a crash in the cost of computing, have accelerated the use of new technologies, and with it, introduced new risks and attack paths for business. Moreover, individuals and corporations are consuming these services on a platform that was never intended nor designed to carry these new services or support the business models we have today such as the “sharing economy”.

But what is the biggest cyber threat to organisations today and in the future and is there anything they can do about it? Join Craig in exploring these issues and discover that the answer may not be what you expect…

Key Points to remember:About the session:

• Cyber attacks are getting bigger and more frequent

• The world is generating 1,200 Exabytes of data per year and that number is growing

• Data storage devices are getting bigger and cheaper

• Information is the oil of the digital economy - in 2015 the number of network devices is double that of the entire global population

• A big cyber attack can put your company out of business

• Companies need to make sure staff are educated on how to look out for cyber attacks

Paul Drum FCPAHead of Policy, CPA Australia

Reforming Australia’s tax system

Is holistic and meaningful tax reform really achievable in Australia?

This session will provide an update on the Australian Government’s Tax White Paper process, including CPA Australia’s ten-point plan for reform, aimed at enhancing Australia’s competitiveness and improved standards of living by encouraging investment, consumption, savings and job creation.

Key Points to remember:About the session:• We need to keep the economy growing to safeguard our

way of life • CPA Australia has a 10 point plan of preferred reform on the

tax system via the Rethink discussion paper - find it here on the website

• The focus of tax reform is on outcomes - creating jobs, growing the economy and removing inefficiencies

• There are four 'what if' scenarios of GST models showing

how Australia's GDP could be increased - find it here on the website

• The OECD has two papers that summarise the action plans on base erosion and profit shifting - find the papers on the OECD website

Cathy DoyleChief People Officer, McDonald’s Australia

So you want a global career? Understand the skills, attributes and capabilities

Key Points to remember:So you think you’re a global citizen? These are the skills you’ll need if you’re considering international moves in your career:

• charm• polite in all cultures• successful• gets things done• delights all who meet them• copes with ambiguity and makes the best of every situation• resilience• attracts others• skilled/educated• qualified• culturally sensitive

About the session:

Josie ThomsonResilience and Change Expert, Mindset

Building resilience and how to cope with constant change

Seizing The Leadership Opportunity:

Building public-sector organisations to cope with constant change is not a challenge ... it’s an opportunity.

How can you seize this opportunity while still delivering on your day-to-day priorities? It’s about developing effective leadership or "organisational fitness".

Overall Result: Thriving in a constantly shifting environment becomes an organisational fitness and not just an isolated cultural challenge

About the session:• Our brain is on the lookout for

threats. Safety is first, happiness is second

• You need to focus on "what you want" not “what you don't want”

• Stress can be good and bad for you. Too much stress causes distress

• Avoid - expression and suppression

• Do - label emotions, look at things positively, distance yourself initially then come back to the problem

Key Points to remember:

Alistair BrownChief Financial Officer, Save the Children

Mergers – building your impact as a NFP

Key Points to remember:

With Australia’s NFP sector becoming increasingly overcrowded, mergers will become more and more critical for the ongoing success of the sector.

Having recently been involved in the successful merger of Save the Children and Good Beginnings, Alistair will provide some first-hand observations on the role of a CFO in facilitating a merger in the sector.

About the session:

Dr Eva TsahuriduPolicy Adviser Professional Standards and Governance, CPA Australia

Creating an ethical culture: Why and how

This session investigates the influence of culture on individual ethical behaviour in the work context and provides examples of how culture leads to organisational misbehaviour.

It also explains the key elements of culture and provides valuable insights on how to create and sustain an ethical culture in any organisation.

Key Points to remember:

Dr Eva TsahuriduPolicy Adviser Professional Standards and Governance, CPA Australia

Creating an ethical culture: Why and how

To promote an ethical culture:

• Our code of ethics/conduct needs to reflect and be consistent with our culture. Otherwise it will not work

• Our formal policies and objectives must be aligned with the culture

• What we say inside and outside the organisation must be consistent with what we do, expect, measure and reward

• We need to visibly reward ethical behavior

• We need to have ethical leaders who are visible ethical role models

About the session:

Jonathan Chapman

“Bored reporting” – an insight into boardand executive report writing

A practical guide to writing reports for the Board and the Executive, that you can easily remember and apply immediately to enhance your reports.

Whether you are a seasoned report writer or just starting out, these insights will help you move from "the numbers guy" to the storyteller.

Key Points to remember:About the session:7 rules to follow to tell a great story in your board report and get noticed: Rule 1. Know the audience, know thyself - boards set strategy and mitigate risk. Your report must include this because it's what they really want to know. Rule 2. Get to the point - make the report short (3-5 pages) and tell them exactly why they're reading it. If it's to make a decision - tell them. Rule 3. Are the numbers important? Not as much as telling the story. Outline the business drivers, don't just describe whether numbers are moving up or down. Rule 4. Substance over form - use appropriate tone, voice and grammar. Don't over-capitalise words, don't assume prior knowledge and don't use abbreviations. Rule 5. Consistency - one voice - make sure the many contributing voices sounds like one voice to the reader. Rule 6. Have a style guide - give it to the contributors to follow. The reader will instinctively react in a more positive manner if a report is aesthetically pleasing. Rule 7. Elevator conversation - prepare a one minute summary about the report for when you run into the GM/CEO/Chairman

Major Matina Jewell (Retired)ex UN Peacekeeper, author and speaker or resilience and leading through change

Caught in the crossfire – a story of idealism and heroism; of romance and terrifying drama

Key Points to remember:

Matina will share her raw first-hand account of what really happens in modern warfare and the high price our soldiers pay for their country.

We all walk a tight rope every day, whether it’s juggling the conflicting demands of work and home, our team and our leaders, or the needs of our customers and staff. It’s how we handle these times of being caught in the crossfire that will define and ultimately determine our success. Matina will provide a new perspective on the concepts of leadership, teamwork, dealing with change, and managing in a crisis.

About the session:

• It's normal to feel fear• Business leaders need to adapt if they want to

have success.• It's important to create a culture that encourages

people during the decision making process• Practice and rehearse plans BEFORE any crisis

situation arises• During a crisis it's important to communicate with

your team if you want to move forward and continuing functioning

• If someone is struggling in your team - give them a purpose

• Out of periods of great adversity comes opportunities - as long as you willing to look for them

Paul KraspActing Chief Finance Officer, Australian Taxation Office

Expectations of finance professionals in the coming years

The future of organisations is reliant upon the development of internal oversights and controls in Governance.

This session will explore:• how to overcome the governance

challenge • using governance to support

organisations to achieve their objectives

• what the effects of new business demands are on the ATO's approach

• how the ATO evolved in the way we do our work and deliver our services

• what expectations on finance professionals will be in the coming years

• how the ATO is responding to our changing environment

Key Points to remember:About the session:

• Fit for purpose governance processes are critical

• Governance should morph, move, adapt and change all the time

• The challenge of governance is to create space for innovation

• Governance has experienced several huge shocks over the past few years, despite the framework in place

Simon RountreeChief Executive Officer, Camp Quality

Innovative concepts to improve staff wellbeing andbusiness performance

Social impact is often defined as the net effect of an activity on a community, individual or family.

At Camp Quality they believe that social impact is also about providing tools for their staff that are positive, meaningful, sustainable and measurable in order to build their overall optimism, resilience and well-being.

This session will explore how Camp Quality expanded the way their people think in order to create positive change for the individual, for their family and for the communities they live in.

Key Points to remember:About the session:• Leaders need to make sure they create

a positive environment for people to work in

• A good work environment is one where people focus on positive outcomes and stay motivate

• Resilience is a skill anyone can learn - to not only survive but to thrive

• Camp quality gets people to think about 10 solutions to a problem - it always leads to a positive outcome

• Thank people - it makes a big difference in the workplace

Evelyn LingProject Manager, Australian Accounting Standards Board (AASB)

AASB: Latest developments in standard-setting

Description:

Prepare for the future of financial reporting with Kala Kandiah. Kala will outline current and future standard-setting developments from the AASB and the IASB.

She will also set out the AASB’s plan to engage and hear from stakeholders on the development of Australian Accounting Standards.

About the session:

Joycelyn Morton FCPAChairman and Non-Executive Director, Thorn Group Limited

Taking the next step toward directorship

Description:

If you’re considering becoming a company director, then this session’s for you.

Join Joycelyn as she examines essential aspects of the company director role, including risks and pitfalls for independent directors, the role and its responsibilities, and the business and personal benefits that will accrue.

About the session:

Silvia DamianoFounder and Chief Executive Office, About My Brain Institute

Ignite 1: Leadership is upside down

Description: Key Points to remember:Holly RansomChief Executive Officer and Global

Strategist, HRE Global

Ignite 2: How to grab the attention of the generation of short attention spans

Mark McCrindleSocial Researcher

Ignite 4: Bringing research data to life

Vish NandlallChief Technology Officer, Telstra

Ignite 3:Top technology predictions for 2016

Millennials apparently don’t have a short attention span. They think we have a short interesting span.

Leadership is upside down. We are not black or white in thinking. Sometimes we are grey.

Automation is a large trend invading our day-to-day lives. We have connected car, connected building, connected home – connected life-story.

People have come to expect content and data, but now we’re overwhelmed by it. So visually it is essential to get cut-through.

Stay tuned for the Day Two Wrap Up

tomorrow at cpaaustralia.com.au