INTHEBLACK

Australia remains one of the few advanced economies still using PDFs for financial reporting – a format most global markets have already left behind.  In this episode, you'll gain expert-led insights on why adopting digital financial reporting in Australia is critical to supporting trust, transparency and competitiveness in global markets.  Explore how structured data allows regulators, investors and businesses to analyse and compare information more efficiently, driving better decision-making and reducing capital costs.  Listeners will learn:  How structured data improves accountability and investor confidence  Why global markets already mandate digital reporting standards  The link between digital disclosure and lower capital costs  How AI will enhance – not replace – digital reporting workflows  What Australian policymakers can learn from global peers  Learn why CPA Australia is recommending a mandate for digital reporting by listed entities in this expert-led discussion.  Listen now.  Host: Ram Subramanian, External Reporting Lead, Policy, Standards and External Affairs, CPA Australia  Guest: John Turner ,CEO of XBRL International, a global, non-profit standards body dedicated to improving business performance through enhanced transparency and accountability in reporting. With a background in law, IT, and government, he has led innovation in business model design, systems development and data standards for over two decades.  For more, INTHEBLACK has an article on why digital reporting should be mandatory in Australia. Additionally, this interim report from 2025 by the Productivity Commission provides broader context to digital reporting.  And you can find out John Turner's organisation XBRL at its website. Loving this episode?  Listen to more INTHEBLACK episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube. And don't forget to click subscribe on the channel.  CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:  With Interest INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform.  Email the podcast team at [email protected]

How can we attract more accountants and future-proof the profession?  In this episode we take a deep dive with IFAC into this pressing question. You'll learn about accounting's talent pipeline – its challenges and possible solutions.  Key takeaways include:  What's really driving the talent shortage and how firms, educators and policymakers can respond.  Simple ways to position accounting as a dynamic, valued career choice.  Why reaching future accountants in primary school – and harnessing gamification – sparks lifelong curiosity.  How AI is reshaping (not replacing) accounting jobs, and what skillsets are essential for today's graduates.  Real-world strategies to build an engaged and future-proofed accounting team.  If you're in business or accounting leadership, don't miss these actionable insights to help understand and elevate the profession's future.  Host: Elinor Kasapidis, Chief of Policy, Standards and External affairs, CPA Australia  Guest: Bruce Vivian, Head of Accountancy Education, IFAC  You can learn more about Bruce Vivian's career and his role with IFAC.  And read IFAC's story on possible incentives for attracting accounting talent.  Also, check out IFAC's website for its attractiveness of the profession hub which includes resources on preparing a future-ready profession and roles for the next decade.  You can listen to more With Interest episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube.  CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:  With Interest  INTHEBLACK  INTHEBLACK Out Loud  Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform.  Email the podcast team at [email protected]

We all want to be happy at work. Or at least happier, don't we?  Across this conversation, listeners will learn about a foundational concept: Success often follows happiness rather than causes it.  Drawing on research in positive psychology, the episode outlines how mindset, habits and self-awareness account for a large share of overall wellbeing, far outweighing external circumstances.  It also explains how small, consistent practices such as learning to be grateful can recalibrate the brain's natural bias toward the negative.  Listeners will learn:  The relationship between happiness and leadership  Positive psychology as a field of research  Research data on happiness and how it's a 'skill'  The key components of developing workplace happiness and contentment  How to recognise 'green-light moments'  Ways to shift out of work-related ruts, regain perspective and avoid catastrophising  This Career Hacks episode is a must-listen for anyone looking for that elusive happiness factor at work.  Host: Jacqueline Blondell, Editor, CPA Australia  Guest: Declan Edwards, happiness researcher, speaker, coach and consultant. He is founder of the BU Happiness College, which has a vision of making the skills and science of happiness more accessible to individuals, organisations and the world.  For more information, head to the BU Happiness College on LinkedIn.  Loving this episode? Listen to more INTHEBLACK episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube.  Click subscribe on the channel to stay updated on the latest episodes.  CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:  With Interest  INTHEBLACK  INTHEBLACK Out Loud  Excel Tips  Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at [email protected]

We've all probably had a manager or leader who struggles to delegate. Sound familiar?  This Career Hacks episode explores the art of delegation. It's an essential skill, particularly for new managers – and one that's often hard to master.  Getting the right balance between a hands-off approach and micro-management is key, and an empathetic approach can really help, say the experts.  Listen in to learn the behavioural traps that keep managers doing the work themselves, why burnout grows when clarity is missing, and how empathy offers insight into workload, motivation and fairness.  Also, learn how to check in without hovering, why communication gaps create rework and the value of curiosity when assessing team capacity.  You'll learn:  • Why not delegating limits leadership impact • How technical experts can shift from doing the work to guiding it • The emotional and psychological drivers that shape team performance  • How empathy and curiosity help leaders understand real workload and risk  This Career Hacks episode is a must-listen for professionals seeking expert advice on how to best delegate.  Host: Jacqueline Blondell, Editor, CPA Australia  Guest: Daniel Murray, international keynote speaker and author of The Empathy Gap, a handbook for business leaders who want to form stronger connections with the people they lead.  For more on this episode's guest Daniel Murray, head to his consultancy's website.  Loving this episode?  Listen to more INTHEBLACK episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube.  And don't forget to click subscribe on the channel.  CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting:  With Interest  INTHEBLACK  INTHEBLACK Out Loud  Excel Tips  Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at [email protected]

Are you a leader who dreads hard conversations? The uncomfortable feedback. The underperformance chat. The redundancy announcement. It can be daunting. But difficult conversations are part of every leader's journey, and mastering them takes skill, EQ and practice. In this expert-led episode, we bring you tools to help. Key learnings:  • Why fear for even the most capable leaders drives avoidance – and how to break the cycle • How to prepare for tough talks without over-rehearsing • Practical ways to lead redundancy or performance discussions • Turning emotional moments into opportunities for growth • Understanding emotional triggers to finding constructive outcomes Learn how you can use emotional intelligence (EQ) in five of the most difficult conversations you may have at work. You'll discover evidence-based techniques to prepare for and conduct challenging discussions that build trust instead of tension. This episode shows the power of EQ, and why it is often the difference maker in these tough scenarios. The Career Hacks series is back and episode two is a must-listen for professionals seeking expert advice and guidance in these demanding situations. Host: Jacqueline Blondell, Editor, CPA Australia Guest: Amy Jacobson, emotional intelligence expert, speaker and author. Her latest book is titled The Emotional Intelligence Advantage. For more on Amy Jacobson, head to her website, which includes a section on her books. Loving this episode? Listen to more INTHEBLACK episodes and other CPA Australia podcasts on YouTube. And don't forget to click subscribe on the channel. CPA Australia publishes four podcasts, providing commentary and thought leadership across business, finance, and accounting: With Interest INTHEBLACK INTHEBLACK Out Loud Excel Tips Search for them in your podcast platform. Email the podcast team at [email protected]