CPA Australia has identified six essential skills for finance professionals in 2026.
What is happening: CPA Australia has identified six skills that accounting and finance professionals must master to thrive in 2026.
Why this matters: Finance professionals who develop these six skills will advance their careers and earning potential while helping organizations unlock opportunities and build resilience.
Technology is reshaping the accounting profession. Australian businesses are investing heavily in artificial intelligence and automation to simplify processes and reduce repetitive tasks. However, most of those investments underperform.
According to Gavan Ord, director of enterprise investments at CPA Australia, the problem is not the technology itself. It’s discipline.
“Australian businesses are increasingly embracing artificial intelligence and automation, helping to simplify processes and reduce repetitive and time-consuming tasks,” explains Ord. “However, without a disciplined evaluation process, companies run the risk of investing too much in the technology.”
The evidence is stark. “CPA Australia members report that standard investment procedures are not always followed when investing in AI, resulting in poor decisions and wasted spending,” says Ord. “Accountants who apply the same rigorous evaluation to potential AI investments as they do to any other asset are more likely to see their business reap its benefits and emerge as a winner in 2026 and beyond.”
This idea reframes the conversation about AI for financial leaders. The question is not whether to adopt AI. It’s whether to evaluate it properly. Accountants who treat AI investments with the same financial rigor they apply to capital expenditures or acquisitions will outperform those who treat them as tactical experiments.
Data becomes strategy through storytelling
Data is everywhere in modern organizations. However, data alone does not create value. Perception does it. The strategy yes. The action yes.
This is where data storytelling becomes critical. “Data is an increasingly critical business asset,” says Ord. “However, data only becomes valuable when it is translated into compelling narratives that inform decision-making. Data storytelling bridges the gap between analysis and action, turning insights into strategies that resonate with stakeholders at all levels.”
The skill is not purely technical. Finance professionals need to understand data deeply, identify patterns, and communicate findings in ways that resonate with decision makers. Those who combine analytical rigor with narrative power become indispensable for their organizations.
For accounting and finance professionals, data storytelling creates a clear professional advantage. It transforms them from numbers reporters to strategy architects.
Sustainability experience is now a career accelerator
Sustainability reporting presents an important career opportunity for accounting professionals, but only if they prepare now.
“Sustainability reporting presents a career-boosting opportunity for many accounting and finance professionals, but only if they are prepared for the changes,” says Ord. “Now that mandatory climate-related disclosures are in place for larger companies, accounting professionals should consider deepening their sustainability expertise.”
The regulatory landscape has changed. Larger Australian organizations now face mandatory climate-related disclosure requirements. Organizations actively seek professionals who can interpret environmental data, assess risks, and translate these insights into actionable plans that drive long-term business value.
For early adopters, this represents a professional advantage. Those who develop sustainability expertise will now be in high demand as regulatory requirements expand and stakeholder expectations intensify.
Critical Thinking and Communication: Where Analytics Meets Influence
Advanced analytics and artificial intelligence are powerful tools. They are also useless without interpretation and communication.
“Critical thinking enables accounting and finance professionals to interpret data, identify trends, ask the right questions, and draw meaningful conclusions that support business,” explains Ord. “Even the most advanced technologies are ineffective if professionals cannot interpret, verify and communicate the knowledge they produce.”
Critical thinking has multiple purposes. It is essential for assessing risks, challenging assumptions and making evidence-based decisions. It is also the basis for identifying where analyzes may be misleading or where data quality is poor.
However, critical thinking alone is not enough. Communication completes the equation. “For accountants, communication skills are equally important,” Ord emphasizes. “The ability to translate complex financial insights into clear actions is what turns data into strategy. Those who combine strong analytical skills with persuasive communication are invaluable to their organizations.”
Navigating complexity without slowing growth
The regulatory environment is simultaneously becoming more complex and more voluminous. Compliance obligations are multiplying. Reporting requirements are expanded. The risk landscape is constantly changing.
Professionals who master regulatory and reporting expertise become invaluable. “As the regulatory environment becomes more complex and voluminous, practitioners must continually update their knowledge of regulatory requirements, including reporting obligations,” says Ord. “This knowledge is essential for companies operating in a connected economy.”
Organizations need professionals who can ensure transparency, build investor confidence, and navigate complex compliance landscapes without becoming obstacles to growth. “Businesses need professionals who can ensure transparency, build investor confidence, and navigate often complex compliance landscapes without stunting growth. Those who master this skill set will always be in high demand among employers,” confirms Ord.
Ethics in an automated world
As technology adoption accelerates, ethical leadership becomes more complex and important.
“People need to be prepared to deal with ethical dilemmas that arise in real-world settings,” Ord says. “Ethical considerations extend to technology adoption, sustainability and data governance. The rise of AI and automation presents additional challenges, as professionals must understand not only how to use these tools effectively but also how to use them responsibly.”
This goes beyond compliance. It requires asking difficult questions about how systems work, whether there are built-in biases, and whether data governance respects confidentiality and regulatory requirements.
“Ethical leadership means asking the right questions,” explains Ord. “In AI, this means asking: How are algorithms making decisions? Are biases being mitigated? Are data being handled in a way that respects confidentiality and regulatory requirements?”
For accounting and finance professionals, developing this capability is of enormous importance. “Developing the ability to navigate complex ethical landscapes will be essential for long-term success,” concludes Ord.
The way forward
The six skills CPA Australia has identified represent a fundamental shift in what accounting and finance professionals need to do to be successful. Technical expertise is still necessary. But it is no longer enough.
Professionals who master AI assessment, data storytelling, sustainability expertise, critical thinking, communication, regulatory knowledge, and ethical leadership will do more than keep up with the pace of change. They will help drive it. They will help organizations unlock opportunities, build resilience and maintain trust. And they will advance their own careers and earning potential in the process.
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