Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
1. Business / Trading Name: Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
2. Company number: 5544869
3. NZBN: 9429041551851
4. Entity type: Overseas Non-ASIC Company
5. Business classification: Accountants’ association operation (ANZSIC Code 9551 – Business and Professional Association Services)
6. Industry Category: Professional accounting membership organisation (representing the accounting profession)
7. Year founded: 2014 (formed by amalgamation of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia and the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants)
8. Addresses:
Head Office (Australia): 33 Erskine Street, Sydney NSW 2000
Wellington Office: Level 3, BNZ Place, 1 Whitmore Street, Te Whanganui a Tara (Wellington) 6011
Auckland Office: 5/8 Tangihua Street, Auckland CBD, Auckland 1010
9. Website URL:
https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com
10. LinkedIn URL: https://www.linkedin.com/company/654969
11. Company Hub NZ URL: https://www.companyhub.nz/companyDetails.cfm?nzbn=9429041551851
12. NZ Companies Office URL: https://app.companiesoffice.govt.nz/companies/app/ui/pages/companies/5544869
13. Social Media URLs:
Twitter: https://twitter.com/Chartered_Accts
Instagram: https://www.instagram.com/charteredaccountantsanz/
14. Ultimate Holding Company: None – member-owned professional body (not part of a corporate group)
15. Key Shareholders: None – not a company limited by shares; owned by its membership
16. Leadership:
President: Grant Ellis, FCA
Board Chair: John Palermo, FCA
Chief Executive Officer: Ainslie van Onselen (CEO since May 2020)
17. Staff: Approximately 400 employees (2020)
18. Staff that have held previous government roles:
Lee White – Inaugural CA ANZ CEO (2014–2017); previously Chief Accountant at the Australian Securities & Investments Commission (ASIC)
(No other senior staff with known high-level government roles identified.)
19. Past Employees:
Lee White, FCA – Inaugural Chief Executive of CA ANZ who led the 2014 merger; later Executive Director at the IFRS Foundation. (Former ASIC Chief Accountant, 2004–2009.)
(No other notable former employees publicly identified.)
20. Clients: Not applicable – CA ANZ does not have external “clients” in a commercial sense; it serves its 138,000+ members (accounting professionals).
21. Industries/sectors represented: Represents the accounting profession across all sectors – members in public practice (audit/tax firms), commerce and industry, public sector, and not-for-profit/charity finance roles.
22. Publicly Disclosed Engagements:
Regular policy submissions to government (e.g. submission to NZ Productivity Commission’s “Future of Work” inquiry in 2019).
Appearances at Parliamentary committees and consultations on tax, financial reporting, audit and business law reforms.
(CA ANZ maintains an online archive of policy submissions.)
23. Affiliations:
International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) – Full Member body (since 2014 merger, inheriting ICAA/NZICA memberships).
Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) – Founding Member (current CA ANZ CEO chairs CAW in 2023).
Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) – Member (providing mutual recognition with 10 other global accounting bodies).
ASEAN Federation of Accountants (AFA) – Associate Member (with CPA Australia).
24. Sponsorships / Collaborations:
“Everybody Counts” corporate giving program – Members and staff donate via payroll and fundraisers, making CA ANZ a long-term NBCF corporate partner.
Education & STEM Partnership – Collaboration with Science Gallery Melbourne, sponsoring youth STEM+Arts events (STEAM Careers Forums, student competitions, etc.) as part of a 2022 partnership to promote maths, technology and the accounting profession to students.
25. Events (held or organised by this organisation):
Annual Charity Events – e.g. the NSW Charity Event (fundraiser luncheon) supporting NBCF, re-launched 10 October 2024. CA ANZ hosts similar charity/networking events in various regions.
Professional Development & Networking – Regular member conferences, seminars, and “Friday Night Social” networking events (often in partnership with educational or industry bodies).
Acuity (member conference and webinars) and other forums on tax, audit, and business topics (often aligned with government budget cycles or new legislation).
26. Political Donations: None disclosed. No record of CA ANZ making donations to political parties or candidates in New Zealand (the organisation focuses on advocacy and charity, not partisan funding).
27. Controversies:
Handling of PwC Tax Scandal: CA ANZ drew sharp criticism for its slow and lenient response to the 2023 PwC Australia tax leaks scandal – a parliamentary inquiry in 2024 branded CA ANZ an “absolute failure” in upholding the public interest. The body fined PwC only $50k and dropped investigations into some implicated members, prompting accusations of protecting Big Four firms.
Member Dissatisfaction: Some members (especially small practitioners) have publicly complained about a perceived lack of support and high fees. In 2023 analysis, members raised eyebrows at CA ANZ’s A$90 million annual payroll and “laggard” advocacy on key issues (e.g. KPMG exam cheating, Covid support), questioning whether the organisation is delivering value for its hefty membership dues.
28. Other information of note:
Royal Charter: CA ANZ operates under a Supplemental Royal Charter (granted 26 November 2014 by the Governor-General of Australia) which, along with its By-Laws, governs the organisation post-merger. This gives CA ANZ a special legal status similar to older Commonwealth professional institutes.
Statutory Role in NZ: Under the Accounting Infrastructure Reform Act 2014, CA ANZ assumed the functions of the former NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants. It is a prescribed accounting body for regulatory purposes in New Zealand (e.g. supervising members in public practice and auditor licensing).
29. Recipient of Wage Subsidy Scheme: Data Not Found. There is no public record of CA ANZ (NZ branch) receiving the Covid-19 Wage Subsidy in New Zealand. (The organisation provided guidance on the scheme to members, but did not announce any claim for itself.)
Sources:
[1] “Ten years on: marking the coming together of ICAA and NZICA,” Chartered Accountants ANZ (News), 18 Dec 2024. https://www.charteredaccountantsanz.com/news-and-analysis/news/ten-years-on-marking-the-coming-together-of-icaa-and-nzica
[2] IFAC Member Profile – Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CA ANZ), International Federation of Accountants, Updated July 2024. https://www.ifac.org/about-ifac/membership/members/chartered-accountants-australia-new-zealand-formerly-recognized-icaa
[3] “President Tinashe Kamangira FCA… Board Chair John Palermo FCA… Chief Executive Officer Ainslie van Onselen,” Chartered Accountants ANZ (Wikipedia page), retrieved Oct 2025. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chartered_Accountants_Australia_and_New_Zealand
[4] “Ainslie van Onselen appointed Chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide,” Scoop Business (NZ), 3 Aug 2023. https://www.scoop.co.nz/stories/BU2308/S00058/ainslie-van-onselen-appointed-chair-of-chartered-accountants-worldwide.htm
[5] Auditor-General’s overview – Management of the Wage Subsidy Scheme, Office of the Auditor-General NZ, May 2021. https://oag.parliament.nz/2021/wage-subsidy/overview.htm
[6] CA ANZ Company Register Listing, Company Hub NZ (Companies Office data). “Company number: 5544869; NZBN: 9429041551851; Status: Registered; Date registered: 19 Dec 2014; Entity type: Overseas Non-ASIC Company.” https://www.companyhub.nz (search result cache)
[7] Katalyst Business Profile – Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Katalyst Business Database, 2025. Physical address Wellington; postal address; website.【21】
[8] TEQSA Provider Details: CA ANZ (formerly ICAA), Tertiary Education Quality and Standards Agency (Australia), 2021. Head Office: 33 Erskine Street Sydney NSW. https://www.teqsa.gov.au/provider/chartered-accountants-australia-and-new-zealand-formerly-institute-chartered-accountants-australia
[9] NZ Treasury – Annual amount spent with all suppliers 2021/22 (OIA response), via FYI.org.nz, 2023. Shows NZBN 9429041551851 (CA ANZ) – $25,846 paid. https://fyi.org.nz/request/22248/response/83875/attach/5/Annual%20amount%20spent%20with%20all%20suppliers%20for%20the%202021%202022%20financial%20year.pdf (page 8)
[10] “CA ANZ represents 139,000+ financial professionals… CAs are known as Difference Makers,” LinkedIn page snippet, 2023. (Prospectoo reference – LinkedIn Company ID 654969). https://www.linkedin.com/company/654969
[11] “Addresses: Care of Beth Steele, Level 7, Chartered Accountants House, 50 Customhouse Quay, Wellington,” Company Hub NZ search snippet, 2023. (Showing CA ANZ NZ registered office address).
[12] “Since 2006, NBCF has been a proud beneficiary of CA ANZ’s corporate giving program, Everybody Counts,” National Breast Cancer Foundation (Australia) – Partners page, 2024. https://nbcf.org.au/partner/chartered-accountants-australia-and-new-zealand/
[13] “Announcing our new partnership with Chartered Accountants… partnership encompasses sponsorship of Friday Night Socials…,” Science Gallery Melbourne – News, 8 Sep 2022. https://melbourne.sciencegallery.com/news/sgm-partners-chartered-accountants-anz
[14] CA ANZ Policy Submission – “Technological change and the future of work,” NZ Productivity Commission Inquiry (June 2019). “CA ANZ welcomes the opportunity to provide a submission… Appendix B provides more information about CA ANZ.” (Peter Vial, CA ANZ NZ). Available via NZ Treasury website.
[15] “CA ANZ is committed to ensuring the highest standards of professional ethics…,” Chartered Accountants ANZ media release, 2023 (re: PwC scandal). [Chartered Accountants ANZ fines PwC $50,000 – via Reddit post linking CA ANZ site].
[16] “Accountants body shows a disregard for its public interest duty,” Australian Financial Review, Letters, 3 Mar 2024. Quote: CA ANZ at Senate inquiry seen as “absolute failure” in dealing with PwC tax leaks. https://www.afr.com/companies/professional-services/accountants-body-shows-a-disregard-for-its-public-interest-duty-20240303-p5f9dj
[17] “Lacklustre response to the KPMG cheating scandal… laggard response to the PwC tax leaks scandal,” SmartCompany, 23 Oct 2023. Opinion piece by CA ANZ member analysing CA ANZ’s financials and advocacy performance. https://www.smartcompany.com.au/opinion/ca-anz-a-financial-teardown/
[18] “Eyebrows raised over CA ANZ’s $90m payroll bill… or their laggard response to the PwC scandal,” SmartCompany, 23 Oct 2023. https://www.smartcompany.com.au/opinion/ca-anz-a-financial-teardown/
[19] CA ANZ Annual Report 2023 (summary via SmartCompany analysis). Revenue A$141m (2020); expenses; payroll ~$90m.
[20] Chartered Accountants Worldwide Members, Chartered Accountants Worldwide website, 2023. Lists CA ANZ as a member alongside ICAEW, SAICA, etc.
Spot anything in this entry that is wrong? Please either leave a comment at the end or email, in confidence: bryce@democracyproject.nz