A Perth-based CA and Deloitte director, Kamangira has a long history of service to both CA ANZ and the broader community.
His focus as president will be on representing members on the CA ANZ board, attracting and retaining talent, strengthening the reputation of the CA designation, and promoting diversity and inclusivity among the membership.
Tinashe Kamangira FCA knows that worthwhile change takes time. That’s why he’ll be continuing the work of previous CA ANZ presidents to attract and retain new talent, and strengthen the reputation of the CA designation.
“If we are to remain one of the world’s most respected and reputable professions, we need to continue to attract the smartest and brightest people,” he says. “That means casting a wider net and making sure that people from all kinds of backgrounds understand the benefits of being an accountant.
“We need to challenge outdated perceptions by demonstrating that accountants have massive opportunities for specialisation, travel, advancement and playing a positive role in society. From working in small and medium practices closely connected to their clients and communities, to auditing large companies and seeing their inner workings, accounting offers multiple career choices.”
During his year in office, Kamangira will continue to engage widely with members and, in his role of serving member interests on the CA ANZ board, relay their feedback directly to his boardroom colleagues.
“Every member has a unique perspective whether they’re standing up for our ethics, engaging in CPD to keep their skills current or thinking about entering the profession,” he says. “Whenever I attend member events or engage with future CAs, I’ll be taking their reflections back to the board.”
Following media reports of members who breached professional standards, Kamangira will also work with the rest of the CA ANZ council and board to help communicate the profession’s ethics and its importance to strong, stable capital markets.
He sees the diversity among CA ANZ’s 136,00-plus members as one of the association’s great strengths.
“We’re at our best when we reflect the communities we serve,” he says. “We know we have work to do to attract more under-represented First Nations, Māori and Pasifika peoples but we should take real pride in the fact that our profession welcomes people from all walks of life. I’m representative of that.”
Kamangira grew up in Zimbabwe. His father was a property executive and administrator, and his mother was principal of a college that taught shorthand, typing and office management skills, mostly to women.
“From when I was young, I watched dad work and mum run a business,” he says. “I was interested in how businesses ran and operated – and I’ve wanted to be a chartered accountant for as long as I can remember.”
He left for Australia in 2002 to study for a Bachelor of Commerce at Perth’s Curtin University of Technology, where he majored in accounting and finance.
“Being an international student brought both challenges and opportunities, but the biggest challenge I faced was finding my first job,” he says. “Most accounting firms would only consider permanent residents, so I was very lucky when I was eventually taken on by Byfields, a small accounting firm based in Perth. One of their specialities was agribusiness, so I got see lots of Western Australia, including the Kulin bush races and places like Mukinbudin, which I really enjoyed.
“I also made lots of great connections and I was very lucky because, although Byfields wasn’t a chartered accounting firm, one of the senior partners was a chartered accountant. He encouraged me to pursue the CA Program and supported me through it.”
In 2009, Kamangira joined the private advisory practice of Grant Thornton in Perth.
“I felt it was time to gain experience with a larger firm and more corporate clients,” he says. “I also had a fantastic opportunity to work for Grant Thornton Sweden as part of the talent mobility program. I spent six months in Stockholm and Gothenburg as audit senior assistant.”
A decade later, he moved to his current position as a director at Deloitte Private.
“I now work with some of Western Australia’s most iconic private enterprises, and the families who own them, to protect their prosperity for the family and the good of society,” he says.
Kamangira’s hobbies include travelling and sport, while his interest in technology led to a postgraduate certificate in information systems and information technology. However, much of his spare time is now given over to his children, aged one and almost three.
“I stopped working on Tuesdays so I can contribute to their care as well as the daily routines, particularly wrangling breakfast, bath time and bedtime,” he says. “I joke that, when I was younger, I knew every nightclub in Perth. Now I know every playground.”
Kamangira is a strong believer in giving back to his profession. He joined the Young Chartered Accountants Panel in 2009 and, after six years with the WA Regional Council, was appointed chair in 2013. He was also a CA Program facilitator and exam marker. He joined the CA ANZ Council in 2018 and served as Australian vice president of the CA ANZ Council in 2022.
He is also committed to serving the community. His work for St Vincent De Paul Society WA includes roles as state treasurer and chair of the finance, audit and risk committee. He is finance director of the Perth-based Uthana Mission, an outreach program which supports relief work in Kolkata, India, and he also provides pro bono advice for various not-for-profit organisations in Australia and overseas.
“The benefit of any CA giving their time and skill to help community and not-for-profit organisations is returned many times over.”
CA ANZ members have the opportunity to meet their new president at industry and CA ANZ events throughout 2024.
“This year, I’m looking forward to attending a wide range of member events and conferences, meeting as many members as possible,” Kamangira says.
“Your voice and input is vital to strengthening CA ANZ and our profession, so please don’t hesitate to say hello and share your aspirations for our designation.”
