From our early beginnings in June 1928, with 688 founding members, the Institute has become Australia’s leader in the accounting profession representing 47,000 members and 15,000 of Australia’s best accounting graduates who are currently enrolled in our world class postgraduate Chartered Accountant Program. 
 
Much has changed over 80 years. The founding members worked solely in public practice, providing expertise in accounting and auditing. Now, more than 40 per cent of our members work in commerce, and the specialisms open to Chartered Accountants extend to strategic planning, market analysis, compliance, change management and the use of information technology. 
 
Since the Institute’s inception, Australia has seen a phenomenal rate of regulatory change - in the last 20 years alone there have been more than 50 major regulatory initiatives introduced that affect the profession. In this fast moving environment, today’s lobbying remit is broad, including the taxation, superannuation, sustainability, corporate governance and ethics, regulatory reform and workforce issues. 
 
Visionary leadership has always been key to the Institute’s success. At the forefront of innovation, consultation and debate, the Institute is tackling issues such as differential auditing and extended performance reporting. With environmental issues high on the agenda for the business community, and in response to the government’s ratification of the Kyoto protocol, the Institute is advising on the tax implications and incentives associated with emissions trading.  
 
Leading the profession goes hand in hand with the Institute’s aim to grow the profession by training high calibre students through the Chartered Accountant Program. In the last five years, the number of candidates has doubled, testifying to the increasing appeal of the industry to young people, and cementing the profession’s future.