CPA Australia Congress 2026 in Hong Kong brings think tanks to shape the future

Held under the theme "Lead the Outcome: Shape What's Next", the Congress brought together policymakers, business leaders and industry experts to examine some of the forces reshaping the global business landscape, from AI and innovation to governance, leadership, organisational resilience and the skills needed to build future-ready organisations.

The Congress featured opening remarks from The Honourable Paul Chan, GBM, GBS, MH, JP, Financial Secretary of the Hong Kong Special Administrative Region; Gareth Williams, Australian Consul-General in Hong Kong and Macau; and Dr Asheley Jones, Chief Learning and Innovation Officer at CPA Australia.

Preparing professionals to lead in a changing world

Dr Asheley Jones said the profession must prepare the next generation of accounting and finance professionals not simply to adapt to change, but to help shape what comes next. "We are not simply preparing the next generation of accounting professionals for the world as it is today. We are preparing them to lead in a world that is still being imagined."

"Our ambition extends beyond knowledge. It is about preparing future accounting and finance professionals to apply judgement, question assumptions and respond confidently to a changing world. As information becomes increasingly accessible, professional value will not be measured by what you know alone, but by how you interpret it, act on it and create trust through the decisions you make."

Hong Kong turns capital and innovation into new growth

Opening the Congress, Financial Secretary Paul Chan reflected on the theme "Lead the Outcome" and the increasingly strategic role played by accountants in business decision-making.

"As an accountant myself, it is good to see accountants being invited into the conversation before decisions are made, and not just afterwards to explain what happened."

Chan highlighted finance and innovation and technology as two interconnected priorities under Hong Kong's first Five-Year Plan, pointing to the city's ability to turn its strengths in capital, innovation, enterprise and professional expertise into new engines of growth.

Highlighting Hong Kong's role in connecting the Chinese Mainland with international capital and global markets, Chan pointed to the strong momentum in the city's capital market.

"The momentum is encouraging. In the first nine months of this year, IPOs in Hong Kong raised some HK$388 billion, more than double the amount a year earlier. International investors from the US, Europe, Southeast Asia and the Middle East are major players here, while capital from the Mainland continues to flow in."

Turning to innovation and technology, Chan highlighted the Northern Metropolis as a key part of Hong Kong's future growth, with ambitions extending beyond physical infrastructure to establish an ecosystem connecting education, research, talent, enterprises and industry.

"We are bringing education, research, talent, enterprises and industry together to create a new engine of growth. By shortening the time to take discoveries to market and supporting them with patient capital, we give start-ups and young companies room to grow and scale."

AI will redesign jobs, not simply replace them

Internationally recognised futurist Dr Ben Hamer urged businesses and professionals to focus less on predicting precisely what will happen and more on building the capabilities needed to respond to change.

"Nobody can predict the future with certainty. But while we can't predict it, we can prepare for it. The future is not about being right, but about being ready."

Internationally recognised futurist Dr Ben Hamer urged businesses and professionals to focus less on predicting precisely what will happen and more on building the capabilities needed to respond to change.

"AI is less a story about job loss and more a story about job redesign. As routine tasks become increasingly automated, professional roles will evolve towards the judgement, insight and trusted advice that clients value most."

"The firms that succeed won't be those with access to the latest technology, but those that invest in their people. Building AI fluency alongside human skills such as curiosity, adaptability and sound judgement will be critical to helping professionals thrive in a rapidly changing world."

AI could be obsolete within 18 months

Dr Catherine Ball, scientific futurist and globally recognised innovator of influence, offered a provocative vision of what she described as the sixth Industrial Revolution, predicting that the way society thinks and talks about artificial intelligence could change rapidly.

"Welcome to the sixth Industrial Revolution, where passive, ambient intelligence predicts and protects, and the very term 'AI' will be dead within 18 months. Governing this shift means recognising that all AI strategies are actually data strategies, and that global oversight must mirror our financial regulatory system."

Ball also highlighted a new challenge as AI is increasingly used to manage other AI systems.

"Using AI to manage AI is both the next frontier of financial security and a new attack layer, reminding us that humans are the loop, not just in it. Leaders should weigh what is possible, probable, and preferable while asking whose local cultural ethics and frameworks apply."

Looking beyond technology, Ball said genuine human relationships and the ability to navigate uncertainty would become increasingly valuable.

"Ultimately, in a world where systems make everything expected, human value will shift from what you know to who you know, defined by real connections, effort signalling, and the courage to be unpredictable in the face of the unknown."

CPA Australia will continue to support members and business professionals through thought leadership, professional development and its global network, helping them build the professional, technological and human capabilities needed to navigate change and contribute to sustainable business growth.

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About CPA Australia

CPA Australia is Australia's leading professional accounting body and one of the largest in the world. We have more than 176,000 members in over 100 countries and regions. Our core services include education, training, technical support and advocacy. CPA Australia provides thought leadership on local, national and international issues affecting the accounting profession and public interest. We engage with governments, regulators and industries to advocate policies that stimulate sustainable economic growth and have positive business and public outcomes. A CPA is a Certified Practising Accountant. More at cpaaustralia.com.au