CAANZ x UCE Networking Evening with Chris Akroyd

Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand (CAANZ) and The UC Centre for Entrepreneurship are joining forces to connect industry professionals with emerging leaders and startup founders. 

This is an opportunity for students to explore emerging trends and build connections with industry.  

With up to 50 chartered accountant members from accountants to corporate professionals attending, this is your opportunity to network. 

Event Highlights:  

• Networking Opportunities: Connect with industry professionals, students, and staff. 

• Inspiring Talks: Hear from influential speakers about the future of entrepreneurship and accounting. 

• Showcase of UCE Projects: Discover the impactful projects and initiatives led by UCE. 

Guest Speakers: 

• Professor Chris Akroyd – Head of Department, Accounting and Information Systems, University of Canterbury - Why does culture eat strategy for breakfast? 

• Emmalee Abott-Joe - Founder - Froth 

• Fred Sudgen - Co-CEO - Entre 

Come along and network with industry professionals, discover emerging trends in business and accounting. 

Keynote talk: Why does culture eat strategy for breakfast? 

Presented by Professor Chris Akroyd 

Business leaders often are tempted to focus on strategy over culture. While strategy outlines the goals and steps for achieving them, culture influences how strategy is executed and whether it succeeds in the long term. Because of this there are a growing number of companies who have harnessed culture to deliver their purpose in a way that enables them to delivery on their strategy. A strong culture aligns employees' attitudes, behaviors, and decision-making with strategic objectives, fostering collaboration, innovation, and resilience. Conversely, a toxic culture can undermine even the most well-crafted strategy, leading to internal conflicts, resistance to change, and poor performance. Ultimately, culture shapes the environment in which strategy unfolds, making it a critical determinant of organizational success or failure. Thus, prioritizing and nurturing a healthy culture is essential for ensuring that strategic initiatives thrive and produce sustainable results. 

About Chris Akroyd: 

Chris Akroyd is a Professor of Accounting at the University of Canterbury. His research explores how organizations navigate uncertainty and change, with a particular focus on the design and use of management control systems.  

Recent publications highlight the importance of cultural, environmental, social, and governance considerations in management control systems, offering insights into how organizations pursue sustainability alongside financial goals.  

Chris’s research is informed by field-based studies and draws on interdisciplinary perspectives from sociology, management and marketing. He has published in leading accounting journals and regularly collaborates with scholars and practitioners to address real-world challenges. His work aims to support a more holistic understanding of accounting and accountability in today’s evolving business landscape. 

Student Founder Presentation: 

Emmalee Abott-Joe – Founder of Froth 

At FROTH, we believe that travel should be stress-free and leave our beautiful landscapes unharmed. We’re creating single-use dissolvable shampoo and conditioner tablets that make haircare simple, compact, and eco-friendly—perfect for travelers, airlines, and hotels. Our mission is to transform personal care on the go by tackling environmental issues and common travel frustrations, all while delivering high-quality haircare in a lightweight, mess-free format. No more overweight bags, spilled liquids, or 100ml restrictions. 

Founder Emmalee, a fourth-year Chemical Formulation Design and Marketing student at the University of Canterbury, is passionate about blending science, design, and sustainability to rethink everyday essentials. She has already made waves by placing in the top 10 at the Red Bull Basement innovation competition and as a winner of the Christchurch Foundation’s Women Entrepreneurs Award. With FROTH, Emmalee is determined to make a positive impact on how we travel. Are you FROTHING for the future? 

Student Club Presentation: 

Entre - Fred Sudgen – Co-CEO: 

Entre is a student-run entrepreneurial organisation, dedicated to empowering the next generation of innovators and changemakers. Based at the University of Canterbury, Entre connects students from UC, Ara, and Lincoln with real-world opportunities to develop their business ideas, build essential skills, and grow their networks.  

Their flagship initiative, the Enterprise Challenge, is a nine-week program that supports student teams to develop real ventures, culminating in a pitch night with up to $50,000 in prizes to accelerate their impact. Through events like the Enterprise Challenge, Napkin Challenge, and Market-a-thon, Entre helps create hands-on experiences in entrepreneurship, innovation, and leadership.  

Since its founding in 2004, Entre has helped launch numerous student startups and has supported alumni who have gone on to build nationally recognised businesses.