Chartered accountants: Trusted leaders in a complex world

At the end of last year, Chartered Accountants Worldwide reappointed Ainslie van Onselen as chair for another two-year term. Joe Pickard hears about what she has learned from her first term, and what her priorities will be for the next year

The Accountant: What have you learned in the past two years as chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide?

Ainslie van Onselen: Over the past two years, I’ve learned just how powerful our global community truly is – and how trusted chartered accountants are.

Chartered Accountants Worldwide brings together more than 1.8 million members and students across markets, cultures and regulatory environments and yet, despite our differences, we are united by shared values of integrity, the highest technical standards and a commitment to acting in the public interest.

The fifth wave of our Trust Survey, conducted for Chartered Accountants Worldwide by Edelman DXI, shows that chartered accountants are one of the top three most trusted professions, just behind doctors and engineers. The survey also revealed that trust in chartered accountants (83%) ‘to do the right thing’ is five points higher than trust in accountants more broadly (78%). This is the largest gap since the commencement of the study in 2018. The Trust Survey shows that in an uncertain world, businesses are looking more and more to chartered accountants as trusted advisors.

I’ve also learnt that the challenges facing our profession, whether from AI and technology or sustainability, cannot be solved by any one institute working alone. Collaboration is essential. Working together through the leadership of our member institutes, we draw significantly stronger collective insights that benefit chartered accountants all over the world.

Finally, I’ve seen first-hand the appetite across our network to embrace change. Chartered accountants are no longer viewed solely as technical experts but as strategic leaders, trusted advisors and drivers of sustainable value. Our members are shaping the future, and it is a privilege to support them.

TA: What will be the priorities for the organisation in your next term as chair?

AVO: My priorities will centre on three key areas. First, strengthening collaboration across our network. This means deepening connections between member institutes, sharing best practice, and creating more opportunities, such as CAW Connects, for members to engage with each other internationally.

Second, supporting our profession as it undergoes rapid transformation. AI, regulatory change and sustainability are reshaping what it means to be a chartered accountant. Chartered Accountants Worldwide will focus on thought leadership, practical resources and advocacy to help members navigate this change with confidence.

Our landmark study, AI and the Future of the Global Chartered Accountancy Profession, conducted by Ipsos, revealed just how much AI is reshaping the profession and what needs to happen next. More than 2,700 chartered accountants across 48 countries responded to the survey. Among the key findings was that 67% want AI training from their professional accountancy body.

As chief executive of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), this was an ‘a-ha!’ moment that I took back to my team. With the help of AI experts, including an FCA, we’ve since introduced a flagship six-week Certificate in AI Fluency for our members that’s been sold out several times. We’ve also produced a range of complimentary resources including an AI Fluency Playbook that’s available on Chartered Accountants Worldwide’s Knowledge Hub, alongside other resources. AI is also embedded in our CA Program, with a core subject being Risk, Technology and Artificial Intelligence, which was designed in partnership with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland.

Alongside AI, sustainability is another major priority for all our member organisations. The Knowledge Hub will continue to be populated with great resources from member institutes and trusted global partners to help expand expertise on climate, nature and social issues and navigate them with insight and accuracy.

Third, we will continue to strengthen the global visibility and relevance of the Chartered Accountant designation. A core part of this is demonstrating the vital contribution chartered accountants make to ethical leadership, sustainable business, strong governance and financial resilience. Our goal is to ensure the designation remains the profession’s gold standard.

TA: How are the roles and responsibilities of the Chartered Accountant changing as the use of AI becomes more prevalent?

AVO: AI is transforming our profession, helping to amplify the value and impact of chartered accountants. Routine tasks and data processing can now be done more quickly and accurately by technology, which frees chartered accountants to focus on higher-value work: exercising professional judgement, providing strategic insight, assessing risk and upholding ethical standards.

AI cannot replicate trust. It cannot replace the need for professional scepticism, human oversight or principled decision making. As AI becomes more prevalent, our responsibility increases, acting as data guardians to guide organisations in implementing new technology responsibly, safeguard data and privacy, and to ensure ethical considerations sit alongside commercial ones.

TA: You’ve said that a key part of your role is ensuring ‘a strong pipeline of future talent’. How do you plan to work towards this, and what is the biggest appeal of becoming a chartered accountant?

AVO: We need to make the profession accessible, inclusive and appealing to a diverse group of next generation talent. This involves working with institutes to modernise pathways into the profession, showcasing the breadth of career opportunities available, and ensuring students can see themselves reflected in our membership.

We know that next-generation talent is looking for a purpose-driven career, so we are thinking differently about ‘how’ and ‘where’ we engage young people and speak to them in language they understand. At CA ANZ, we’ve developed a range of resources to help support conversations and engagement with next generation talent that we’ve proudly shared and showcased with Chartered Accountants Worldwide members.

It’s clear that there’s huge value in the Chartered Accountancy designation – it can take your career in so many different directions. CA ANZ’s most recent Remuneration Survey showed our members listing more than 660 different job titles, proving there’s no single path to success except the one that every member creates for themselves.

The greatest appeal of our profession is that it opens doors to leadership, entrepreneurship, international work and roles that shape the future. It gives individuals a platform to make a difference.

TA: What will be the toughest challenges for the organisation within the next two years?

AVO: From AI to sustainability, the accelerating pace of change is something everyone is grappling with and there are increasing expectations placed on chartered accountants – just at a time when some our member countries are experiencing talent pipeline challenges. We will be rising to the challenge of supporting our members and institutes to meet these expectations.

Of course, economic and geopolitical uncertainty will continue to test societies and the profession more broadly. Beyond talking about the professional skills chartered accountants bring to communities and economies, Chartered Accountants Worldwide will continue to play a steadying role promoting the profession as a standard bearer for trust, transparency and good governance.

TA: At the end of your next term as chair, what will you be hoping to reflect on as a success story?

AVO: I hope to look back on a period where Chartered Accountants Worldwide strengthened its influence, increased collaboration across our network, and delivered tangible value to both institutes and individual members.

Above all, I hope to reflect on having helped reinforce the reputation of chartered accountants as trusted leaders in a complex world. If our members feel more connected, more empowered and more future-ready, then I will consider my term a success.