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Twenty-five years of experience is about more than knowledge. For Martine Joly, it means staying ahead of changing requirements, understanding questions quickly, responding with confidence and giving clients the reassurance that comes from knowing someone is on top of things.

What does 25 years as a Chartered Accountant really mean?

It is easy to measure a professional milestone in years. But the real value of 25 years in the profession is measured in something less tangible: knowledge, judgement, perspective, adaptability and the trust built along the way.

In July 2026, Bilateral Solutions’ Founder and Managing Director, Martine Joly, marked 25 years as a Chartered Accountant in Australia. She recently joined fellow members at the NSW 25 Year Anniversary Celebration hosted by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, an evening dedicated to recognising professionals who have reached this significant milestone. There were speeches, conversations, photographs and, of course, a 25-year anniversary diploma.

Martine Joly celebrating 25 years as a Chartered Accountant in Australia.
Photo courtesy of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Martine’s career, however, did not begin 25 years ago in Sydney. She moved to Australia from France as an experienced Expert-Comptable, beginning a new chapter in her professional life and undertaking the Australian qualification required to establish her career and business here.

But beyond the celebration, the milestone offered something more valuable: a moment to reflect on what 25 years of professional experience means.

For Martine, and for Bilateral Solutions, it is not simply about having been in the profession for a long time. It is about what those years have taught her, how that experience continues to develop, and how it benefits clients today.

“When I look back at 25 years as a Chartered Accountant in Australia, I think less about the number itself and more about everything that has happened during those years: the businesses I have worked with, the challenges I have helped clients navigate, and how much the profession has changed. Experience is something you build over time, one situation and one client at a time.”

Chartered Accountants celebrating their 25-year milestone at the NSW 25 Year Anniversary Celebration.
Photo courtesy of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

More than a qualification

Becoming a Chartered Accountant for a second time, in a new country and different language, is a significant professional achievement. But 25 years in the profession also means continually learning, adapting and staying current as requirements, technology and the business environment evolve.

For Martine, that depth of experience has become very practical. She is constantly across what is changing, which means that when a question or request arrives, she can often quickly understand what is involved, what needs to be considered and what the appropriate next step should be.

It is not about assuming every situation is the same. It is about having the knowledge and experience to recognise what matters, ask the right questions and respond efficiently.

For clients, that responsiveness is one of the real benefits of experience. They know that when they have a question, they can receive a considered answer or direction without unnecessary delay.

The 25-year anniversary diploma.

Experience that goes beyond the numbers

This is particularly relevant to the work we do at Bilateral Solutions. At the heart of our work is helping overseas companies establish and operate their business or subsidiary in Australia. From that starting point, our role extends across accounting and bookkeeping, taxation, payroll management and financial reporting.

For an international business entering the Australian market, these areas are rarely completely separate. There may be questions around how an Australian subsidiary should operate within an international group, how financial information should be reported, how Australian tax obligations interact with international transactions, or how payroll and employment requirements fit into the wider structure.

That is where experience becomes particularly valuable. Being familiar with the requirements is important but being able to quickly understand how they connect and what they mean for a particular business can make a significant difference.

Knowledge is important. Judgement makes the difference.

Technical knowledge is fundamental, but clients also need someone who can put that knowledge into context.

A growing company may need better financial visibility before making its next investment. An international group may need its Australian reporting aligned with its wider requirements. A business establishing operations in Australia may need guidance through unfamiliar local accounting, tax and payroll requirements.

In each situation, the ability to respond efficiently depends on being sufficiently across the detail to recognise what matters, identify what may need further investigation and provide practical advice.

Sometimes, the most valuable contribution is simply recognising that a question needs to be asked before a decision is made.

After 25 years, experience helps build that perspective. It means having encountered enough different situations to know where to look, what to consider and how to approach a new question with confidence.

“Accounting is not only about knowing the rules. It is also about understanding the business behind the numbers. Over the years, I have learned that listening carefully, asking the right questions and understanding the client’s situation are just as important as technical knowledge.”

Twenty-five years also means responsibility

There is another dimension to professional experience that is easy to overlook: responsibility.

At the NSW 25 Year Anniversary Celebration, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand highlighted the contribution of Chartered Accountants to clients, communities and the profession, together with the importance of high ethical standards.

Clients do not simply entrust their financial information to an accountant. They entrust someone with decisions, plans, challenges and sometimes very important moments in the life of their business. That trust carries responsibility.

For Bilateral Solutions, professionalism means combining technical competence with discretion, integrity, reliability and a genuine understanding of the client’s circumstances. It also means being responsive when clients need answers and knowing when a matter requires closer attention.

From professional experience to client value

Twenty-five years in the profession also means witnessing considerable change. Requirements evolve, technology changes the way businesses operate and report, and businesses are increasingly international.

Experience provides perspective across that change. It helps distinguish what is genuinely new from what is simply a new version of an old challenge, and it helps identify where complexity matters and where it does not.

Most importantly, it allows an experienced professional to stay on top of what is changing while remaining focused on what the client needs. For clients, expertise is not only about having the answer. It is about understanding the question quickly, knowing what needs to be considered and responding with clarity.

What 25 years means for Bilateral Solutions

Martine’s 25 years as a Chartered Accountant in Australia are also part of the story of Bilateral Solutions. The firm has built its expertise around helping international companies navigate the practical realities of establishing and operating in Australia, with accounting, taxation, payroll and financial reporting supporting that core role.

That requires an understanding of how businesses operate, the ability to work across borders and different reporting environments, attention to detail while keeping sight of the bigger picture, and relationships based on trust.

It also requires staying current. Australian requirements continue to evolve, and international businesses often need to navigate several layers of obligations at the same time. Being able to remain across those changes and respond quickly when questions arise is part of the expertise that clients rely on.

The benefit of professional experience is therefore not simply that there are 25 years behind a name. It is how those years contribute to the way we approach problems, understand what is required and work with clients.

“One of the things I value most after 25 years is the relationships. Every business is different, and every client has their own challenges and ambitions. Experience has taught me that good advice starts with listening and understanding what the client is really trying to achieve.”

Photo courtesy of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Looking ahead

A milestone naturally invites reflection. But it is also a reminder that professional expertise is never finished. There are always new requirements to understand, technologies to embrace, business models to navigate and challenges to solve. That is part of what makes the profession so interesting.

Twenty-five years has given Martine a depth of experience that continues to evolve: keeping up with change, understanding what clients need and being ready to respond when questions arise.

For Bilateral Solutions, that experience is part of what we bring to the businesses we support, particularly international companies navigating the Australian market.

Congratulations, Martine, on 25 years as a Chartered Accountant in Australia. A milestone worth celebrating!