www.firstnationstelegraph.com
Inaugural Accounting and Business Conference
by Rebecca Harcourt 16 October 2015
“
It was such a privilege and joy to meet the Nura Gili UNSW Business School students and alumni who attended the conference. What a wonderful and inspiring group of people. “ [Dr Luisa Lombardi, Deakin Business School]. A group of our UNSW Indigenous students and alumni recently attended the inaugural Australian Indigenous Accounting and Business Conference at Deakin University in Melbourne. Special thanks to the personal sponsorship for travel and accommodation from Adrian Williams and to Dr Luisa Lombardi for the sponsored conference places. As second year Indigenous UNSW Commerce student Blake Barratt shared:
Some of the Indigenous business students and alumni who attended the conference- including Blake Barrett, Olivia Metcalfe, Savannah Joseph and Damian Shannon who are quoted in the article. Image: Simon Fox, Deakin University.
“Having the opportunity to participate in the inaugural Indigenous Accounting and Business Conference was truly a rewarding experience. This event provided me with the platform to build a range of connections with fellow business students, key figures within the business sector as well as visionary academics. Despite being in its inaugural year, I was blown away by the calibre of the speakers who each made their own significant contribution to the conference through the sharing of their experiences and visions for the future. A particular highlight was the international scope that the conference gave through the
diversity of its members present. The international Indigenous speakers from Canada, America and New Zealand all modelled how Indigenous people adapt and be present within the business environment while maintaining their cultural integrity. While there were numerous issues addressed during the two days, the issues of financial illiteracy within Aboriginal communities and the perception of Aboriginal career paths captivated my attention. The underrepresentation of Aboriginal people in business, primarily within Accounting was also a central issue raised during the conference. It was stressed that there is more work required to change the
Page 1
www.firstnationstelegraph.com
stigma attached to this field as a ‘white man’s profession’, when in reality Aboriginal people are truly capable.” Dr Luisa Lombardi one of the key instigators of the conference shared that 80% of the speakers were Indigenous, a deliberate strategy to ensure the depth, expertise and experiences of Indigenous people here and abroad, were brought to the fore to provide informative discussions and debate. Elder Aunty Di Kerr provided an insightful and moving Welcome to Country with keynotes from Professor Marcia Langton, who holds the foundation chair of Australian Indigenous Studies at the University of Melbourne and Mr. Russell Taylor Principal (Chief Executive Officer) at Australian Institute of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Studies (AIATSIS). The Conference sessions included: Overseas Indigenous Accounting Associations; the Role of Education in Indigenous success; Government policy for Indigenous economic development; Indigenous Business: success stories; Indigenous Australian accountants: my Story; Governance and Indigenous organisations. UNSW Business School Indigenous Alum Damian Shannon who’s now working in a graduate position with John Holland Group found the the conference sessions very insightful and shared how “it’s always good to get an international perspective”. Keenly, included in the conference feedback, many commented that as a result of interactions at the conference, and as an Indigenous accountant, they now feel valued and supported
Page 2
for the journey they have taken to become a member of the accounting profession. This experience was also echoed by Blake: “The conference was inspiring and motivating and I observed there is a genuine demand for Aboriginal presence within the business environment recognising our innate intelligence, resilience and intuition.” Equally inspired was another of our second year UNSW Indigenous commerce student Oliva Metcalfe: “My experiences at the conference were positive: the speakers were knowledgeable sharing much about key issues for Indigenous business. I personally gained much by attending the conference with many issues resonating with me. In particular, the need to develop further the skills of Indigenous people at an early age in school so that they are equipped when entering either the workforce or higher education such as university.” The potential impact of more Indigenous people entering the accounting and business professions also struck a chord with Savannah Joseph: “I went to the conference with an open mind. As a current Indigenous UNSW engineering student looking to transfer into commerce, I wanted to develop an understanding of the importance of accounting and how I can utilise the skills acquired from my studies to improve my community. While at the conference, I was confronted by the lack of Indigenous accountants within Australia, with only 28 registering as practising accountants. Further, one of the key ideas I grasped was how accounting
can be used to create change and make a difference.” As Dr Luisa Lombardi research has focused on exactly this, including her PhD: ‘The role of accounting in the financial capacity building of Indigenous Australians’ The CPA research grant project (by Lombardi, L and Cooper, B.J.): ‘An investigation into the role of educators, employers and the accounting profession in providing opportunities for Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander peoples to enter the field of accounting’ and more recently Lombardi, L and Cooper, B.J. (2015) ‘Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander People in the Accounting Profession – An Exploratory Study’, Australian Accounting Review, Australian Accounting Review, No. 72, vol. 25, Issue 1, pp. 84-99. Here at UNSW Business School we are very appreciative of the opportunity for a number of our Indigenous students and alumni to participate in such an invigorating conference. As our students expressed: “Special thanks to Adrian Williams from AMP Capital for ensuring our presence at this conference through his invitation and sponsorship and special thanks to Dr Luisa Lombardi and Professor Barry J Cooper from Deakin Business School for realising the conference.” Thanks to the following industry partners for their sponsorship and involvement with the conference: Platinum Sponsors- CPA Australia and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. Gold sponsor: PwC, EY. Silver sponsor: KPMG.