At a glance
In the lead up to her Year 12 graduation dinner for the Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander students in her school, Hayley McCarrol Johnson CPA was asked to complete a questionnaire about her career plans. While some students may have known exactly what to write, McCarrol Johnson was a little stumped.
“I had absolutely no idea, but I knew I liked maths,” she says.
That aptitude for numbers helped steer McCarrol Johnson toward a career in accounting. Her aunt, who was an accountant, also served as a valuable role model.
That graduation dinner not only helped McCarrol Johnson to focus on her career, but also helped her to secure her first job.
“At the dinner, I spoke to a local accountant, and he explained to me about what they do and what his business was, and I got a bit of a feel for accounting through that,” she says.
“I was quite lucky that at the end of the night, he offered me a job before I even got my HSC.”
Combining work and study
A Kabi Kabi woman from Queensland’s Sunshine Coast, McCarrol Johnson works as procurement manager at the University of Wollongong in New South Wales. After getting her start as a trainee accountant at a public practice firm, she has held various roles at the University of Wollongong throughout her career.
For McCarrol Johnson, education and sharing information is a crucial part of ensuring that no one is left behind.
After finishing school, McCarrol Johnson enrolled in a diploma in accounting at her local TAFE and, within six months, found herself juggling study and full-time employment.
“It wasn’t too tough combining work and study, except during exam time, when I thought, ‘What have I got myself into?’. But I just put my head down and knew that it would all pay off in the end,” she says.
"We’re trying to figure out how to grow the pipeline of Indigenous accountants and what accounting means now. When I first started, my work was very different to what accountants do now, and I think we need to get that message out there. I think we need to be looking outside the box a little bit and thinking about other pathways."
McCarrol Johnson joined the University of Wollongong in 2003 through an Indigenous cadetship program. Working three days a week and studying two days a week for the first five years, she completed her bachelor of commerce with a minor in business law.
Before becoming procurement manager in 2023, McCarrol Johnson’s previous roles at the university included budget accountant and management accountant.
“I’ve worked here for such a long time, and I like the fact that it is like a second home,” McCarrol Johnson says.
“I feel like I’ve been lucky in all the different roles that I’ve had. It has been a constant journey of knowledge.”
Procurement and ESG
As procurement manager, her duties include contract management, negotiation and other responsibilities beyond the financial.
“There are a lot of ESG issues that fall into the supply chain, such as modern slavery and sustainability,” McCarrol Johnson explains.
“I’ve only been in this role since July last year, so I’m still in the infancy of getting my teeth into it.
“Right now, I’m reviewing our current processes and developing guidelines and advice to help explain what procurement means, what we’re trying to achieve, and that there are multiple factors to consider beyond money.”
Building a pipeline of Indigenous accountants
McCarrol Johnson is a member of CPA Australia’s Indigenous Advisory Group, which is made up of Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander CPA members who advise, support and guide its initiatives.
The group aims to ensure that the voices of Indigenous Australian members are central to its reconciliation journey, to develop ways to promote financial literacy and to expand the pipeline of First Nations accountants.
As of June 2024, there are 67 identified Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Australians with a CPA designation through CPA Australia, and there is still much work to be done to increase the number.
"Make an impact, embrace your heritage and cultural background, be different and showcase that difference. Be proud of who you are."
“We’re trying to figure out how to grow the pipeline of Indigenous accountants and what accounting means now,” McCarrol Johnson says.
“When I first started, my work was very different to what accountants do now, and I think we need to get that message out there.
“I think we need to be looking outside the box a little bit and thinking about other pathways. I came to accounting through TAFE,” she adds.
“There are a lot of people out there started out in bookkeeping. We could also be looking to encourage people who are thinking of a midlife career change, which I think has been more common since Covid.”
Increasing financial literacy
The latest Money Stories research from the First Nations Foundation shows Indigenous people are over-represented among financially vulnerable Australians. Almost half of the Indigenous participants reported severe or high financial stress, compared to 11 per cent of non-Indigenous respondents.
McCarrol Johnson says members of the Indigenous Advisory Group have been brainstorming ideas to improve financial literacy within Indigenous communities.
“Financial literacy could extend to many things, such as basic cash flow management to be able to pay your bills on time,” she says.
“It doesn’t just have to be about helping Indigenous businesses. If we can help Indigenous communities more broadly, then it can help to build confidence.”
Shared values
The theme of National NAIDOC Week 2024 (7 to 14 July), is “Keep the Fire Burning! Blak, Loud and Proud”.
For McCarrol Johnson, the theme resonates with her mother’s work, who created the Caloundra and District Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Youth and Family Support, which helped to foster pride among local Indigenous kids.
“Mum passed almost 30 years ago, but I think about what she was hoping to achieve back then, and I realise that my values are very much in line with hers,” McCarrol Johnson says.
“For me, it is about sharing our heritage. The Caloundra and District Aboriginal and Torres Strait Islander Corporation for Youth and Family Support included a homework centre for Aboriginal kids in the community to come to while their parents were at work.
“Through that, we learned different things like art and music, as well as our actual schooling, and got help with homework.
“I recently went to Queensland to visit my brother, and he had all these old newspaper articles about my mum and her community work and what she wanted to achieve back in the 1990s.
“As an accountant in my role, I try to make sure that people don’t think that everything is about money, but that we’re transparent and we’re looking at educating and passing on what we learn with our suppliers,” McCarrol Johnson says.
“It is about growing, going on a journey together and not leaving anybody behind.”
“Accounting is about more than numbers. There are many opportunities available in the profession. I believe if you focus on building connections within the accounting community and connect with other Indigenous professionals, you can give back to your own community and help create positive change.
“Get a mentor, be a mentor, make an impact, embrace your heritage and cultural background, be different and showcase that difference. Be proud of who you are.”
