Why did you apply for the Dick Cahill Scholarship?
I applied for the scholarship because of the opportunity to attend the Finance Conference. The conference seemed like a great opportunity to connect with other council professionals in finance, hear about their experiences in the industry and learn from speakers about current issues and developments in the local government space. Since I had only been working in local government as an accounts payable officer when I heard about the scholarship for a short time, I was particularly interested in learning as much as I could about how the industry was adapting to changes in technology, accounting expectations and standards.
Do you feel this scholarship helped with your professional development?
Absolutely. About one week before I attended the conference I was accepted into my current position as an Accounting Officer, specifically in the asset space. With no experience as an accounting officer or in asset Accounting I was thrilled to have several segments of the conference focusing on asset accounting issues and developments in the Local Government Industry. This helped inform me as I entered the new role, giving me an industry benchmark to compare my council to. This has allowed me to ask useful questions and make constructive suggestions on how to improve the asset accounting department. Additionally, I was able to make connections with staff from Kiama council’s Accounting department and lean about their experiences in higher level accounting positions.
What have you enjoyed most about the Finance Conference?
I have really enjoyed the sessions. Hearing from professionals about current issues in the Local Government space has both been interesting and helpful.
Was there a particular session you enjoyed the most?
The best sessions were the AI technology sessions. It was fascinating to hear form experts in the AI space talk about how the technology is currently being used in accounting and other areas. I was particularly interested to learn about future uses of AI in Microsoft suit, especially in excel. The implication of never having to research functions and learn how to use them is huge for the accounting profession in my opinion. I think this development has the potential to save a significant amount of time in data heavy areas, like asset accounting.
Was there a particular speaker that you enjoyed listening to?
I really enjoyed listening to the last speaker at the conference, who talked about mental health and wellbeing. He was very engaging and provided some interesting perspectives on how to maintain good mental health and wellbeing, drawing on eastern cultures to inform his talk.
What were your key takeaways?
My key takeaways were the potential of AI and the constant updating and refinement of accounting standards. AI has so much potential in Accounting applications to reduce work loads and enable Accountants to focus on improving the information they can provide to councillors and managers. Since being at the conference, I have seen members of my councils finance staff with large work loads but limited or no time to innovate and improve. AI seems to be a powerful tool in offloading work so that these innovations and improvements can be made. As accounting standards continue to change and be improved, Accounting professionals must implement changes accordingly. This requires diligence from Accounting professionals to be on top of these changes.