With a judging panel including respected professionals and business leaders, academics, business executives, entrepreneurs and innovators, the Rising Stars program forms peer-reviewed recognition of your capabilities for supporting the accounting sector and your passion for driving the industry forward.
Sinthya is a Financial Accountant at BOC South Pacific (Linde), where she leads and manages the end-to-end financial complexities for the South Pacific islands. “The numbers don’t rule, they can inform, but it’s all about us as accountants inside companies having the deep understanding and skills to look at the past and present to help predict and shape the future.”
She is passionate, and a high calibre professional, recently got featured in “ Integrated Report FY23 of CPA Australia”, and was drawn to accounting as a profession, because it gives wider business exposures. She further leads multiple projects, protecting and serving the public interest by ensuring that investors and other stakeholders have materially accurate financial statements and other reliable information on which to base decisions.
Additionally, Sinthya is an Adjudicator for Australasian Reporting Awards, also as a Judge for Accountants Daily, Accounting Reporting Awards assessing annual reports using widely distributing criteria based on world best practices, and recognition of good reporting practices.
Isha Miglani is a Senior Risk Consultant specialising in Financial Services and local government work at Grant Thornton Australia, where she leverages her expertise as a Chartered Accountant to drive impactful solutions in the accounting industry. Her accomplishments include being named Rising Star of the Year at the Australian Accounting Awards 2021 and Accountant of the Year (Boutique Firm) in the Accountants 30 Under 30 awards.
An advocate for financial empowerment, Isha actively supports financial literacy programs in Sydney’s Lower North Shore community, focusing on helping women facing domestic violence gain financial independence. She also contributes to the development of future leaders through her work with UNSW Business School, UTS, and University of Sydney consulting competitions, and co-leads Grant Thornton’s Gender Equity Network, advancing initiatives that foster diversity and inclusivity.
As a seasoned judge for the Australian Accounting Awards in 2023 and 2024, Isha is passionate about identifying and supporting the next generation of leaders in the accounting industry.
Professor Rahat Munir is the Head of Department of Accounting and Corporate Governance, Macquarie University Sydney. He is the Chairperson of Chair of Accounting and Finance Forum (CAFF) of all universities in Australia and New Zealand. He is also forensic accounting specialist with financial crime investigative and financial statement integrity skills. Prior to his academic journey he held several senior administrative positions in the banking sector besides continuing to pursue an active career in research. He is FCA (Chartered Accountants Australian & New Zealand), FCPA (Certified Practising Accountant Australia) and PhD from Macquarie University, Sydney.
He is internationally known for his expertise in curriculum development, innovative learning and teaching practices and accreditation, including AACSB and AMBA. Professor Munir has been instrumental in maintaining strong ongoing relationships with external stakeholders, including professional associations, universities and communities - Universities in China, Southeast Asia, South Asia and Europe. He has served on the panel for Faculty/Course Reviews of various Universities in Australia, New Zealand, Europe and the USA. With his strong engagement with industry, he leads Australia-wide most prestigious CFO Forum, Women Thought Leadership, Business Leaders Roundtables and Thinktanks.
He has written over 100 peer reviewed articles in top journals globally, books, book chapters, monographs, conference papers and commissioned reports, and over 50 publications for professional and lay audiences. Although the bulk of his research focuses on management accounting and controls, he has also published in important cognate areas such as education, CSR, corporate governance, corporate culture and research expertise related to UN Sustainable Development Goals (SDGs). He has conducted research in a wide range of industry (Big4 firms manufacturing, banking, airlines, and politics) and country contexts, especially in Asia with research in China, Indonesia, Pakistan, Malaysia, India and other countries. Professor Munir has delivered scores of invited/keynote presentations, and his expert opinions has been featured in radio, television, newspapers, newsletters, and web outlets worldwide. He has supervised to completion 20 research higher degree students and assessed scores of doctoral students’ thesis from Australian and international universities.
He is affiliated with several professional bodies including the Accounting and Finance Association of Australia and New Zealand, Professional Risk Managers International Association, USA, American Accounting Association, British Accounting Association, Canadian Accounting Association and European Accounting Association. Professor Munir serves on various high-level Committees and Advisory Boards. Professor Munir has also served on the TAFE NSW Higher Education Academic Board. He is also serving on the Education Board of the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand. He has served as guest editor and referee/scientific program committee of various international journals, and organised conferences & workshops.
Professor Munir’s sustained excellence in teaching and research has been recognised through international awards, including Business/Higher Education Roundtable Award for excellence in accounting teaching collaborations and CPA Australia’s awards for achievement in academia. His contribution has also been acknowledged for his projects in 2015, 2021 and 2024 for the Wharton-QS Stars Reimagine Education Awards at the University of Pennsylvania in the Nurturing Employability Award category for the most innovative pedagogical approach to learning and teaching. He has served on the judging panel of the Momentum Media and Accountants Daily’s Australian Accounting and Australian Digital Technology, Women in Finance and 30 Under 30 Awards. Professor Munir's case study - The Ethics of Profit in the Australian Retail Industry was amongst the top 4 teaching cases globally by the Decision Sciences Institute, Washington DC for the ‘Best Teaching Case Studies Award’ competition.
Is the founder and Managing Director of Forte Asset Solutions, Forte Licensing Solutions and Forte Consulting Solutions. Forte’s Asset Solutions core activity is selling financial services businesses. Forte Licensing Solutions assist practices to find the right Dealer group or become self- licenced. Forte Consulting Solutions assists business to grow.
Steve has enjoyed a successful 30 plus year career in financial services.
Steve was a Partner in Deloitte and CEO of DFS Financial Services a HNW Advisory Group. After selling DFS Steve created Australia’s first specialist financial services M&A group.
Steve is a member of the International Association of Consultants, Valuators and Analysts.
Tanya Sale is the Founder, CEO and Managing Director of multi award-winning, national Aggregator group, outsource Financial. Tanya is the only female CEO / Managing Director of a mortgage Aggregator in Australia. Having extensive banking and finance experience, Tanya pioneered the third-party mortgage sector, by creating diverse models to change the way lending was conducted in Australia.
In 2019 Tanya appeared on the expert's panel, for the Channel 9 television show, Secrets of the Money Masters, she won 'CEO of the Year' at the Women in Finance Awards and was named as one of MPA’s Global 100. In 2020 Tanya was inducted as a Fellow of the FBAA by their Board of Directors and in 2021 was named again, in the MPA Global 100. Most recently, Tanya was named as one of the MPA’s inaugural ‘Elite Women’ 2022.
Ting Song, Certified Public Accountant (CPA), is specialized in the field of Private Equity and Hedge Fund (Alternative Investments) accounting and operations. She currently works for JP Morgan Chase. Before specializing in Alternative Investment Fund Accounting, she worked in non-profit accounting and consulting. She received the 2023 CPA to Watch Award and has been named as one of the Top 100 Accountants for 2023 by Los Angeles Business Journal.
Gareth Woodham has been conducting property valuations across Sydney and Melbourne for more than 20 years.
Gareth attended the University of Technology Sydney from 1992 to 1998 and graduated in 1999 with a Bachelor of Land Economics. Shortly thereafter, Gareth was registered with the NSW Department of Fair Trading, and began practising under Ken Feltham FAPI, where he acquired experience valuing a vast range of residential properties across Sydney. During this time, Gareth undertook valuations for major banks and financial institutions, lawyers and accountants, for a range of purposes including: mortgage security, statutory assessment, mercantile recovery and family law.
In 2003, Gareth relocated to Melbourne, and was employed by Walstab Brady Pabst as an unrestricted valuer, conducting residential, commercial and industrial valuations across Melbourne, again for banks and financial institutions for mortgage security, statutory assessment and family law purposes.
Admitted to the Australian Property Institute in 2006 as a Certified Practising Valuer, Gareth returned to Sydney in 2006 to establish an office for WBP, conducting portfolio valuations for the Defence Housing Authority and Genworth, and undertaking extensive recovery and liquidation valuations for several mercantile agents.
In 2010 Gareth extended his qualifications to include Thermal Performance assessment of residential dwellings and became licenced as a Buyer’s Agent in 2015.
Catarina Santini is an award-winning accountant and the founder of CS Accounting, a boutique, fast-growing accounting firm based in Loxton, South Australia. A passionate advocate for women in business, she has earned a reputation as the go-to adviser for hundreds of startups and entrepreneurs, not just in South Australia but nationwide. In 2024, Catarina was named as one of Inside Small Business's Top 50 Small Business Leaders. Her firm offers comprehensive accounting, tax, and advisory services, with a sharp focus on business owners to grow and achieve their goals while also supporting numerous small and regionally-based businesses. Catarina’s approach is all about helping clients reach time, mind, and financial freedom through annual planning and ongoing accountability coaching. When speaking at events, on podcasts or in the media, Catarina talks about the power of building trust and long-term relationships, how her firm is prioritising education over transactional advice, and why business owners really need to speak to their accountant more often, particularly at a time when business coaches are on the rise. She's a huge advocate for the crucial role accountants play in providing strategic financial guidance.
Peter Robinson has been an accounting educator for many more years than he cares to count. He has delivered a wide range of accounting, bookkeeping and commerce related topics to students in senior secondary schools, technical and further education colleges (e.g., Western Australia’s North Metropolitan TAFE) and universities at undergraduate and post graduate levels throughout Australia (i.e., The University of Western Australia, The University of Melbourne, The University of New South Wales, Curtin University, Edith Cowan University and Murdoch University) and internationally (including The University of Texas: Austin, Shanghai Maritime University, The University of Hong Kong and The University of South Africa). Apart from classroom instruction, Peter served as the academic coordinator for Work Integrated Learning (WIL) for the then Faculty of Arts, Business, Law and Education at the University of Western Australia from 2017 – 2020 inclusive and supervised over 850 interns.
Sharon is the Founder and CEO of Slipstream Group, bringing 20 years of experience in financial services. She is passionate about helping privately held small and medium businesses make bold decisions to achieve their goals.
Founded in 2015, Slipstream Group supports financial advisers and accountants, currently coaching over 90 firms across Australia and assisting 100 more each year with actionable business plans.
An accomplished presenter, Sharon frequently speaks at events, sharing insights on business performance and financial transformation. Audiences rave about her presentations, often inviting her back year after year.
Outside of work, Sharon is a proud mum of two primary school-aged girls. She enjoys traveling, skiing, and five-star hotel gyms, and embraces adventure and merriment in life.
