Accru gathers for its 2026 Leap Conference near Melbourne
Earlier this month, Accru held its 2026 Leap Conference at the picturesque Balgownie Estate in Victoria’s Yarra Valley wine region - just outside Melbourne - bringing together members of the Accru association for two days of collaboration, insight and networking.
The Leap conference is held every two years and is an opportunity for Accru association firms to get together in person, discuss common issues, look at some big picture industry issues, as well network and introduce up and coming leaders to the broader network outside their office.
Industry outlook and future-focused discussions
The conference opened with a strategy and network update from MGI's CEO Maxine Brock, setting the tone for a forward-looking program. Keynote speaker Bernard Salt - renowned demographer and media personality - presented on the outlook for the accounting industry in Australia, as well as the “Great Wealth Transfer”. To no surprise, Bernard’s presentations were engaging, thought provoking and met with broad acclaim.
In addition to Bernard, the group engaged in an afternoon of team building around the grounds of the winery before heading offsite for a gala dinner. Friday morning consisted of presentations on Advisory Skills to 2030, as well as an insightful look at the current state of AI in a session titled 'Separating hype from reality'.
Leadership recognised with major award
A highlight of the conference was the presentation of the 2026 John Westmacott Award to Amy Di Venuto of Accru Hobart. The award recognises an emerging leader transitioning into an ownership role within an Accru Australia firm, acknowledging both leadership and contribution to the association.
Amy’s career with Accru Hobart spans more than 15 years and includes balancing professional growth with motherhood, as well as a period running her own business. She returned to the firm and took on an ownership position in July 2025. Specialising in accounting, taxation and systems for the SME market, she will now be sponsored to attend the 2026 MGI AGM in Auckland.
Informative and thought-provoking event
Reflecting on the event, Accru Chair Daniel Arnephy, highlighted the strong engagement and the growing presence of first-time attendees as a sign of the network’s future strength.
“It was great to get everyone together again for another successful Leap conference. The setting was a welcome change of scenery and helped everyone engage with both the content and the networking opportunity.
Along with timely, informative and thought-provoking sessions, one of the highlights was the number of people attending for their first time, showing the strength of up-and-coming leadership across the association. We can’t wait to build on this and kick off planning for 2028.”
Thank you to all who contributed to making this year's Leap Conference such a resounding success!
Be sure to check out all the event photographs in MGI's flickr account!
MGI Worldwide is a leading global accounting network and association with over 8,500 professionals, across audit, accounting, tax, legal and consulting, in some 440 locations in 100 countries around the world.