Zoe Keck (2015)
The fine art of accounting
Refusing to do things strictly by the numbers has led to a flourishing career blending creativity with hard-headed business nous.
Zoe Keck admits most people are confused by the tertiary path she chose: a double degree in Business (Accounting) and Fine Arts (Interactive and Visual Design).
At School, her twin passions seemed worlds apart—she was a creative who led BGGS’s Digital Photography Club but was equally absorbed by the intricacies of accounting. At the end of Year 12 she was torn between pursuing a career in creativity or numbers.
‘I couldn’t choose between the two, so I didn’t. And that decision has completely shaped everything I’ve done since,’ Zoe says, reflecting on a niche skillset that means she always brings something a little different to the table.
This week she returned to BGGS to take part in Bi-Grammar Careers Connect, urging students not to be afraid of taking a ‘non-linear’ career path, as she did.
‘People think creativity lives in an art room and accounting lives in a spreadsheet, but they really go hand in hand. Art taught me expression and how to see things differently, while business taught me the logistics. It turns out that is a very valuable combination.’
Today, Zoe is Corporate Accountant, Finance, with graphic design platform Canva, and was recently named among Ignition’s Top 50 Women in Accounting internationally, after being named Australian Corporate Accountant of the Year at the 2025 Australian Accounting Awards.
And alongside this high-flying career, Zoe also runs her own photography business, shooting everything from Fashion Week in Sydney to Red Bull’s Cliff Diving World Championships. Both roles combine her deep understanding of business with her creative flair and command of technology and design.
Zoe at Australian Fashion Week in Sydney.
Zoe, right, after being name Australian Corporate Accountant of the Year at the 2025 Australian Accounting Awards.
As a result of her own experiences, Zoe is passionate about spreading the message that young people don’t need to follow a single narrow career path. In fact, cultivating broad skills can be the secret to not only success but fulfilment, she says.
‘If you have more than one skillset or hobby, you absolutely don’t have to choose one and close the door on the other. Pick the things that make you curious, even if it doesn’t make sense to anyone else at the time. There will be a unique intersection there and that’s what makes you hard to replace.’
‘Professionally, creative thinking is what makes me stand out. In finance and governance, there are plenty of people who can read a balance sheet. Fewer can explain it to a room of non-finance people or see a different way through a problem everyone else is stuck on. Creativity isn’t a subject; it’s a way of approaching problems.’
On the flipside, Zoe’s head for numbers and strategy has allowed her to handle the business end of her freelance photography venture with ease.
Since graduating from QUT, Zoe has always juggled both photography and a corporate accounting career, working for firms including Pitcher Partners and BDO Australia before joining Canva.
‘At times I’ve called photography my ‘side hustle’, but today it remains a core part of who I am,’ she says.
Sharing her knowledge and giving back are also a central part of who she is. Alongside her corporate and creative work, Zoe serves as Treasurer for a not-for-profit organisation, and is a volunteer mentor with Assisterhood. These build on values nurtured at Girls Grammar and allow her to pay forward a debt of gratitude she feels for the opportunities she has had in life.
‘I have fond memories of the volunteering opportunities at BGGS and I’ve also been highly motivated by those that have helped me along my journey—teachers that saw my potential and pushed me to try new things.’
‘My favourite memories are the small moments—extra time in the art room; drawing inspiration from magazines and creative tools we were so privileged to have; lunchtimes spent experimenting with camera gear with the Digital Photography Club. It was these little moments that lit the creative fire and drive to be curious and open my mind to possibilities.’