Gisborne's good class of assets for accountants

MAKING A DIFFERENCE: Cassandra Crowley was in Gisborne for the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand gala dinner. Describing herself as driven and hardworking, she said she had enjoyed an “interesting career path”, this year adding the role of CAANZ president to her impressive CV. Picture by Tania Niwa

PLACES like Gisborne can offer accountants a fulfilling career and lifestyle advantages, says Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand president Cassandra Crowley, who was in town for the profession’s annual awards dinner.

There were different challenges in recruitment for all sectors in every region, she said.

“If, for example, you were recruiting in Auckland, your challenge might be how do you pay people enough that they can afford to rent or have a mortgage?

“Here it might be how to attract people to be here and articulating the lifestyle it has on offer. The Maori economy here is going from strength to strength, which is fantastic, and across the country we have some big companies that come from the regions.

“I think we’ve seen this with the General Election. The focus on what our regions contribute to gross domestic product. Think of some of the exports that come out of somewhere like Gisborne. It’s an important part of our national economy.”

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Having driven to Gisborne from Napier, Ms Crowley was struck by the beauty of the area.

Nine months into her role as president she said she was enjoying meeting CAANZ members and hearing about the amazing things its members were doing in businesses and communities.

“From Gore to Tairawhiti to Toowoomba to London, we’ve got members across the globe doing fantastic things.”

Te Korowai o Ngaruahine TrustFor the past three years Ms Crowley has been based in Hawera as kaitumuaki (general manager) for Te Korowai o Ngaruahine Trust.

“I was brought on pre-settlement to set up the organisation and take it through the settlement phase. It was really about putting in place foundations for the next stage of growth.

“We’ve grown our assets and we’re now an $80 million iwi and it’s been fantastic to see the organisation become a respected voice in policy development in the region, working with the other seven iwi of Taranaki on initiatives, investing money into our marae, investing money into our rangatahi and, overall, enabling Ngaruahine to succeed on its own terms.”

As a young Pakeha woman, Ms Crowley said it had been a privilege to work in te ao Maori.

“I believe in taking opportunities and finding roles where you add value. Being a Pakeha CEO of an iwi trust is something a lot of people find surprising, and it’s only a space that you can occupy at the grace of those you serve. But being able to make a difference is extremely rewarding.”

Her role as CAANZ president means she engages with fellow accounting bodies across the globe. A major part is listening to members.

“It is very important to make sure as a membership organisation we’re reflecting what members’ needs are.”

Ms Crowley will travel to New York next year to take up a Prime Minister’s Business Scholarship at the prestigious Columbia Business School. During her study she hopes to progress ideas to benefit Ngaruahine and other iwi groups in the Taranaki region.

“One of the great things about te ao Maori and what it can offer in terms of the broader business community in Aotearoa is an integrated or holistic approach to the world we live in.

"I think that a Maori approach to business is intrinsically becoming valued more and more as a New Zealand approach, and that is exciting for all of us.”