Episode 27: A Growing Global Community - Purpose, People, and Connection

A Growing Global Community: Purpose, People, and Connection

Chartered Accountants Worldwide is marking an exciting milestone as we celebrate the continued growth and impact of our global profession. In our latest update, we share three powerful stories that highlight what makes our community thrive: expansion, purpose-driven careers, and the strength of human connection.

First, we are proud to welcome the Institute of Chartered Accountants Nepal as our 16th member institute. Joining during CAW’s 10th anniversary year, this landmark expansion means we now represent 1.8 million members and students across more than 190 countries. Nepal’s inclusion strengthens our presence in South Asia and brings valuable new perspectives to our shared work in advancing trust, purpose, and impact across the profession.

We also shine a spotlight on Sophie Sweeney, lecturer at the University of Galway and member of Chartered Accountants Ireland, whose journey exemplifies the human side of accountancy. From becoming a mother as a teenager to qualifying as a chartered accountant and moving into education, Sophie’s story is one of resilience, clarity, and values-led decision-making. Her work reminds us that accounting is not just about numbers, but about understanding stories, choices, and consequences—and using our skills to create meaningful change.

Finally, we explore why networking matters more than ever in today’s digital and remote-working world. Drawing on insights from Networking Matters: The Power of Human Connection by Kingsley Aikins, we’re reminded that careers are shaped not only by what we do, but by the relationships we build. Strong networks help amplify good work, open doors, and create lasting professional impact.

Together, these stories reflect what Chartered Accountants Worldwide stands for: a connected global profession that leads with integrity, purpose, and people at its heart.

Transcript

HELLO! and welcome to Episode 27 of the Chartered Accountants Global Update, the audio newsletter bringing you the latest from Chartered Accountants Worldwide. Today we've got some really exciting updates to share with you. We're celebrating a historic expansion of our global network, we'll hear an inspiring story about purpose-driven accounting, and we'll explore some valuable insights on the power of professional networking. Let's dive in.

We're starting with some landmark news for Chartered Accountants Worldwide. In a significant moment marking our 10th anniversary, we've welcomed the Institute of Chartered Accountants Nepal as our 16th member institute.

This is such an important milestone. The expansion means we now represent 1.8 million members and students across more than 190 countries. Nepal's addition really strengthens our presence in South Asia and brings valuable regional perspectives to our global community.

Ainslie van Onselen, Chair of CAW, emphasized how Nepal's voice and expertise will enrich the network, particularly as we work together on advancing trust, purpose, and impact in the profession worldwide.

From Nepal's perspective, CA Nil Bahadur Saru Magar, President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Nepal, described this as a proud moment. He highlighted how their members will now have new opportunities to connect, collaborate, and contribute on an international stage.

It's a wonderful reminder of what CAW is all about—building an interconnected chartered accountancy profession that leads with integrity and makes a real difference. Welcome to the family, Nepal.

Now, let's turn to a story that really captures the human side of our profession. We recently featured Sophie Sweeney, a lecturer at the University of Galway and member of Chartered Accountants Ireland, in our Young Difference Makers series.

Sophie's journey is remarkable. She became a mother as a teenager, and while raising her young daughter, she brought her to university lectures—literally sitting in the back row with a toddler while pursuing her education.

That early exposure to learning didn't just open doors for Sophie—it fundamentally shaped her understanding of what a career could be. She went on to qualify as a chartered accountant, and what really stood out to her was how the structured pathway provided clarity and purpose. She talks about how the chartered route offered training contracts, professional exams, and clear standards—but beyond that, she developed this ability to see financial statements as narratives that reveal organizational choices, risks, and values.

When the day-to-day practice no longer aligned with her desire for visible impact, she made a deliberate choice to move into education. For Sophie, teaching isn't just about technical rigor—it's about combining accuracy with ethics, empathy with expertise.

She recently returned from the One Young World Summit, where she carried the Irish flag and connected with delegates from around the world. Her key takeaway was powerful: you don't need to fix every problem yourself. You need to use your position to move good work forward.

Sophie also opened up about dealing with imposter syndrome—learning how to claim belonging without losing humility. And she credits the time pressure she's experienced, both as a working mother and as someone pursuing a PhD, with actually sharpening her ambition rather than limiting it.

Looking ahead, Sophie envisions a human-centered academic career, completing her PhD, and building a community of former students who return with their own stories of impact. It's a beautiful example of how chartered accountants can create ripple effects well beyond the ledger.

If you want to hear the full interview, check out the link in our show notes.

Our final segment focuses on something that's more crucial than ever: networking. I want to highlight a new resource that's particularly relevant in today's remote-working world.

"Networking Matters: The Power of Human Connection" is a book by Kingsley Aikins that really challenges some conventional wisdom. You've probably heard the advice to "work hard and let your good work speak for itself," right? But as Kingsley points out, it's other people who will speak for you—not your work. In a world that's increasingly digital and distributed, our professional networks have actually shrunk, making intentional networking more critical than ever.

The book tackles head-on why networking matters, the misconceptions and challenges people face with it, and practical characteristics of great networkers. It walks through a four-step networking process and explores concepts like leveraging weak connections and building social capital.

What I really appreciate is that it's very skills-focused. There are sections on listening skills, public speaking, personal branding—all the soft skills that really matter but often don't get taught in formal education. And it's backed up with practical tools. The appendices include 40 networking tips and a framework for tracking your monthly networking metrics, so you can actually measure and improve your approach.

Kingsley Aikins brings a wealth of experience to this—over 30 years working across trade, investment, philanthropy, and diaspora engagement. He's raised millions through strategic networking and now runs the Networking Institute, delivering masterclasses globally.

The core message is clear: people get paid early in their careers for what they do, but later for who they are. And your network reflects who you are.

That brings us to the end of Episode 27. We've covered Nepal joining as CAW's 16th member institute, heard Sophie Sweeney's inspiring journey from teenage motherhood to educational leadership, - and explored why networking is more essential than ever.

Thank you for listening to the Chartered Accountants Global Update. For more resources, articles, and podcasts, visit charteredaccountantsworldwide.com. Until next time, stay connected.