Investor Presentaiton

STEVEN ROSSINGH, FCPA North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency Member since 1993 Both my parents were from families of 8. My mother is Indigenous, a Kamilaroi women from the Liverpool Plains area in northern NSW born on Caroona Mission, and my father is a Dutch immigrant who arrived in Australia in 1953 without a word of English. Across all of those 16 uncles and aunties, their spouses, and then children, and children's children, I was the first to attend university let alone complete a degree. I wanted to study accounting when I left school. Through no fault of their own, I was not able to receive any career/study guidance or assistance from my parents; although I did receive strong moral support. My father, who had been made redundant due to technological innovation around the time I finished school, advised me not pursue a career in accounting because "computers will take over the profession". I listened and did not commence studies until I was 25, and completed my degree part time over 6 years. My career has been extremely varied and has not followed a conventional CPA pathway; and I could not say that I have worked in what could be considered to be conventional accounting roles until the last 4 years. However, the knowledge I gained through undergraduate accounting studies, followed by completing the CPA Australia program and later the co-branded CPA/Deakin University MBA program, opened up doors that would not otherwise have opened for me. Aside from the knowledge I gained in completing these studies, I know that the strength of the CPA brand on my CV was a factor in me securing at least three of the senior roles I held. Even while heading up the sport and recreation portfolio in the NT Government for 6 years from 2007-2012, the knowledge I gained as a CPA gave me a keen edge compared to most other Departmental CEO's when negotiating and dealing with Treasury and Department finance officers, auditors, stakeholders, and clients. I am currently employed as CFO by the North Australian Aboriginal Justice Agency (NAAJA) and am loving working in this Aboriginal legal aid organisation. I have been on the Board of Central Australian Aboriginal Congress Aboriginal health service for the last 3 years, and was recently appointed to a casual vacancy on the NT Branch Council of CPA Australia. One of my key agendas on the Branch Council is to help facilitate an increase in the number of Indigenous accountants and to improve the cultural practices of CPA Australia by assisting the development of a Reconciliation Acton Plan for the parent body CPAs Australia. BE HEARD. BE RECOGNISED. CPA AUSTRALIA

View entire presentation