Get to Know Your NSW Branch Executive Committee - Andrew Crawford MACS CP

22nd September 2020

Highlights

Andrew Crawford MACS CP is the Immediate Past Chair of the NSW BEC and elected of both ACS National Congress and the ACS Management Committee.
Andrew has extensive experience in mergers for the big four banks, is a blended finance and IT executive, and a part time academic with both RMIT and Sydney universities. Andrew serves nationally as a director in national health, education and not for profit public companies operating in Australia.
Learn more about who inspires Andrew in his career as a business leader in the tech community.

1. What do you hope to achieve for the ACS NSW Branch?

Many members need urgent support in so many areas of their lives right now and ACS is our professional body that can provide thought leadership, education and opportunities for our members and all Australians in our communities globally.

The BEC and our new NSW Chair Nikesh Lalchandani MACS CP will drive this mission for you and provide a listening ear wherever possible. We, as ICT professionals also need to take a leadership role in the transformation that is happening, and I wish to support members in their goals. I am thrilled that the BEC members are keen to make this possible.

For the last 3 years we have focused on member engagement and ensuring NSW members are delighted with the new premise and great speakers at events. COVID-19 changes our goals – we fought hard to introduce relief for members and this has seen our ACS membership grow to nearly 50,000 nationally, led by NSW division. We must stand together and keep delivering excellence in data, member benefits, training, education and research. With our new NSW Branch Manager, Jamie Burrage AACS on board, I know that we can deliver on this promise to all members and see ACS collaborate with other respected professionals like GIA, AICD, CA and CPA to be seen as the thought leader in tech space.

2. Can you name a person who has had a tremendous impact on you as a leader? Why and how did this person impact your life?

Well aside from my dear parents, the past NSW President John Ridge immediately comes to mind. John has set up the most successful ACS Foundation that has created so much value for internships and graduates. He is driven yet humble, and always driving for better impact on the lives of young Aussie tech professionals.

3. Looking forward, past the crisis, what changes for the good do you hope to see for businesses and employees in our community?

Already I can see in my roles with health organisations plus memberships with other professional bodies like CA, AICD, GIA and CPA that technology can be the best solution – we can now truly work anywhere, and technology is now more available for everyone in society. We are moving closer to be a data driven society which will ultimately help us create more sustainable worlds and cleaner cities too.

4. Considering the number of ACS initiatives that have been announced in response to COVID-19, how do you think ACS is staying current in these challenging times?

ACS is has worked hard to push a number of initiatives in response to COVID-19 and support our members during these challenging times. Our initiatives have included relief of membership dues with the 6-month extension of membership and releasing new job skills and reskilling platforms such as the specialised short tech courses on the ACS Learning Accelerator on Demand and the thousands of e-learning videos on the ACS Learning Accelerator. Complimentary certification was offered to associate members until the end of last financial year to help future proof the skills of our members. The move to greater online webinars featuring industry leaders from Canva, LendLease, Origin Energy, CBA etc has also been a game changer.

5. How has ACS membership supported your career journey in tech.

Starting many years ago I saw collaboration between accountants and ACS on developing ethics in business. Today this must be continued to ensure we stay recognised as a true profession. ACS has helped me grow into a professional that can leverage technology to run business, govern better and make better decisions balancing ethics, social and governance considerations too.

'Get to Know Your ACS NSW BEC' series aims to shed the spotlight on your NSW BEC members and get their insights on key topics related to your ACS membership and the IT sector. This week we continue our ‘Get to Know Your ACS NSW BEC’ series, with Andrew Crawford MACS CP, providing insights into keeping your skills updated and how to make the most of your ACS Membership.