Cheril Calling addressing a captivated audience.

The 2019 EIT Auckland Guest Presenter Series kicked off in style this week with a standing-room-only reception for Cheril Calling from CPA Australia New Zealand. What is CPA, you might ask: Certified Public Accounting, and it rocks!

Cheril is the National Business Development Manager for this prestigious international professional association and she was able to provide students with expert insight into the career pathway options and processes involved for those wanting to make well-informed decisions about their next steps.

Cheril was also able to provide an inspiring story about how her own stellar career in management and financial services was shaped by the value she places on collaboration with others. The importance of communication skills for financial management professionals in an era of superdiversity was underlined by Cheril, and her presentation was both enlightening and engaging.

One of many highlights was Cheril detailing the increasingly diverse range of occupational niches emerging in a sector traditionally viewed by outsiders as only dealing with numbers. Nothing could be further from the truth with new and exciting forensic, environmental and entertainment-related specialisations arising.

Students relished the opportunity to have their specific (and complex!) questions responded to by an expert and Cheril showed her class by answering everyone with the utmost respect and the highest level of detail. She even offered to host a tour of her nearby CPA facility for students.

We were delighted and privileged to host such a distinguished and high-calibre industry representative to deliver the start-of-term impetus to our ongoing commitment to providing a real world, business-focused learning experience. Next up for students will be a chance to meet Belinda Boyes, Manager of the New Kiwis employment support programme sponsored by the Auckland Business Chamber.