A New Zealand startup founder shares practical lessons from building an idea into a profitable business, with insights for accountants supporting innovative clients

Financial lessons learned in managing cash flow, funding, and scaling operations

Challenges in compliance, reporting, and accounting in a startup environment

How accountants can add value and support business growth in early-stage companies

Practical takeaways for translating startup experiences into professional insights

Key updates and emerging issues in income tax, employment tax, and GST

Inland Revenue’s current compliance activity and audit focus areas — and what these mean for organisations in 2026

Recent Inland Revenue statements and rulings and the practical implications for taxpayers

Looking ahead to the Government’s refreshed Tax Work Programme and Budget 2026 predictions in an election year

Overview of AI technologies and their relevance to accounting and finance

How AI automates repetitive tasks and enables more strategic work

How AI is transforming financial reporting and analysis

How AI can streamline tax preparation and compliance

Practical guidance for implementing AI solutions and overcoming challenges

How automation, cloud solutions, AI, and data analytics were applied to solve real accounting challenges

Practical insights from implementing technology for invoicing, expenses, and reporting

Demonstrating how data-driven insights improved financial forecasting and strategic decisions

Lessons learned, challenges overcome, and tips for successfully adopting emerging technologies

The broader impact of tech on tax, auditing, and planning functions

Understanding current cybersecurity threats and emerging attack types such as ransomware and deepfakes highlighting cyber risk as a core business risk

Assessing AI use, supply-chain due diligence, data protection, insurance considerations, and the legal and financial consequences of cyber incidents

Strengthening people, processes, and leadership to reduce human risk and embed cyber security beyond a tick-box approach

Exploring the difficulty around forecasting with volatile or sector-specific variables

Managing rising costs while income streams remain fixed or externally controlled

Strategies to improve accuracy in budgeting and performance tracking

Tools, strategies and AI to support robust scenario planning and decision-making

Growing demand for integrated, reliable data across finance and business functions

Combining financial and non-financial data to provide meaningful insights

Risks of misinterpretation when data is incomplete or poorly integrated

Practical approaches and tools to improve data accuracy and reporting quality

Advanced analytical techniques (regression, scenario modelling)

Strategies to enhance personal resilience and manage stress in a high-pressure finance environment

Promoting mental, emotional, and physical wellbeing within finance teams

Techniques to create a supportive, adaptable, and productive team culture

Practical approaches for leaders to foster resilience and wellbeing while maintaining performance

The role of ethical accounting in shaping investor and public confidence

Maintaining transparency, accuracy, and reliability in financial reporting

Exploring consequences of unethical behaviour such as reputational damage, legal penalties, and loss of stakeholder trust

Dive in to case studies looking at misstatements, creative accounting, and lessons learned

Practical strategies for embedding trust-building practices in finance teams

Proven strategies for leading cross-functional finance transformation and guiding teams through change

Aligning finance initiatives with broader enterprise priorities to drive measurable business impact

Maximizing ROI from ERP, automation, and cloud investments while ensuring smooth adoption and value realization