Akofa Atawa Dakwa

Akofa Dakwa is an award-winning Chartered Accountant, transformational banking executive, and experienced board director with over two decades of leadership experience across East and West Africa. 

A Fellow of ACCA (FCCA) and certified Financial Risk Manager (FRM), Akofa exemplifies the evolving role of finance professionals as strategic business leaders, driving institutional transformation, sound governance, and sustainable growth. 

She currently serves as Deputy Managing Director of Bank of Africa Kenya Ltd, where she provides strategic leadership across business transformation, financial performance, risk oversight, and organizational resilience. Her boardroom experience includes serving as Independent Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Board Risk & Compliance Committee at Guinness Ghana Breweries Plc. 

An influential voice in financial services, Akofa is a sought-after keynote speaker and panelist on banking innovation, corporate governance, inclusive finance, and women's leadership. 

Known for her authentic, values-driven leadership, she is passionate about empowering the next generation of finance professionals, championing diversity in leadership, and demonstrating how the accountancy profession can shape resilient institutions, responsible business practices, and lasting societal impact.

Amos Ng

Elected to Council: 2022

Amos is the group CFO and senior vice president of Straco Corporation Limited, a public listed company operating in the tourism sector. He has been with the company for more than two decades. His other industry experience includes shipping, logistics and management consultancy. 

Amos has previously served as an ACCA Council member; chairman of ACCA Singapore Network Panel, and as Singapore representative to ACCA’s International Assembly. He has also been contributing to the community through active involvement in skills-based volunteering.

He is married with two sons and is an avid golfer and outdoor enthusiast.

Read our interview with Amos.

Anastasia Chalkidou

Elected to Council: 2022

Anastasia Chalkidou is the CFO and co-founder of Quantum BITS, a digitalised SME firm providing accounting, tax, and IT consulting services to SMEs in Greece and other countries.

Her 20+ year career varies from being a senior auditor in one of the Big Four audit firms to IFRS reporting in the financial services sector, as well as representing the profession on international level as the first Greek to work at the Accountancy Europe (FEE) in Brussels, Belgium.

She was the ACCA International Assembly Representative for Greece in 2020-2022 and has been a member of the ACCA Advisory Committee in Greece since 2017. She is an ACCA Practice Room host, a member of the ACCA SME Global Forum, and she has participated as a speaker/moderator in numerous panel discussions on accounting matters related to SMEs and digital accounting - always promoting the values and principles of ACCA.

Read our interview with Anastasia.

Anne Keogh

Elected to Council: 2025

Anne has been an advocate for ACCA for over 20 years and has continued to support members and our association to this day. She has chaired both the Leinster Society and ACCA Ireland, and represented Ireland at the ACCA International Assembly in 2014 and 2015.

With a career spanning senior leadership roles across early-stage and high-growth technology companies, Anne has extensive experience as a global CFO working closely with entrepreneurs. Her focus has been on helping organisations raise investment, build high-performing teams, scale responsibly and reach their full potential. She has also served on the board of a publicly listed company.

Anne believes professional accountants play a vital role as the ethical foundation of business, promoting transparency, inclusion and sustainable growth. She is proud to be an ACCA member and passionate about giving back to the profession and supporting future leaders.

ACCA has shaped Anne’s professional character, fostering her strengths as an independent and strategic thinker, a solutions-focused leader and innovator and a committed mentor and team-builder.

Anne is dedicated to continuing to serve the global ACCA community, championing lifelong learning, diversity of thought, and the development of the next generation of finance professionals.

Carol-Ann Boothe

Elected to Council: 2019

Carol-Ann Boothe is a director with Verdi Consulting, Inc., providing financial management and audit readiness support services. She has more than 35 years of experience in auditing, financial oversight, risk management, and regulatory compliance across the United States, the United Kingdom, Europe, and the Caribbean. Previously, she served as a Director with KPMG LLP, leading audit, advisory, and governance engagements for federal agencies, international financial institutions, and public-and private-sector organisations.

Carol-Ann has served on ACCA's Council since 2019 and currently serves on the Nominating and Governance Committee and Global Forum for Ethics. Previously, she served on the Qualifications Board, Audit Committee, and International Assembly and chaired the ACCA USA Members Network from 2017–2019 after serving as Vice Chair from 2015–2017. She also led the ACCA Washington, DC Chapter from 2013–2023.

Outside ACCA, Carol-Ann serves as President of the AGA Montgomery/Prince George's County Chapter and President of the Jamaican Nationals Association of the Washington, DC Metropolitan Area. She is also Vice President of Programs for the IIA DC Chapter, a Public Member of the WSSC Water Audit Committee, a member of the AGA National Professional Ethics Board, and a member of the NABA Washington, DC Chapter Advisory Council.

Read our interview with Carol-Ann.

Cathal Cusack

Elected to Council: 2022

Cathal is the managing partner of Cusack & Co in Dublin, Ireland, a firm of Chartered Certified Accountants and Chartered Tax Advisors. The firm is a member of the MSI Global Alliance of accountants and lawyers.

He is proud of the firm’s history of training ACCA members and the success that has followed students who trained with him. He is a strong supporter of the ACCA mentoring programme.

He was a regulatory assessor for ACCA, has represented ACCA Ireland on several governmental committees, and has contributed to ACCA's Accounting and Business magazine.

Cathal is passionate about music, and is deputy chairman of Music Network which makes live music accessible to communities while helping musicians develop fulfilling careers.

Cristina Gutu, Deputy president

Elected to Council: 2018

Cristina is a director at KPMG Romania & Moldova, where she leads learning and development. Since 2008 she has been dedicated to the advancement of professional education, contributing to many projects across diverse countries. Her background encompasses auditing and consultancy with international firms and smaller accountancy practices.

With expertise in people-centred processes, Cristina is recognised as a certified executive coach (PCC level – International Coach Federation) and holds accreditation as a mentor from the European Mentoring and Coaching Council.

With ACCA she has served three consecutive terms on the International Assembly (2010–2016) and joined the ACCA Global Council in 2018. She has been a member of the Standards Board, Qualifications Board and Remuneration Committee, as well as chair of the ACCA Global Forum for Ethics (2020–2025).

A passionate advocate for the accounting profession, Cristina champions ACCA’s values in Romania, across Europe and globally – serving as an ambassador for positive change and excellence in the industry..

Read our interview with Cristina.

Dariusz Gafka

Elected to Council: 2025

Dariusz is chair of the Supervisory Board at Santander Consumer Bank Poland (independent member, NED) and Supervisory Board Member at Capital Partners. For many years he served as a management board member and CFO at Mitsubishi Motors Car Company, DaimlerChrysler Fleet Management, Sygma Bank in Poland and Homecredit Bank in Ukraine. He also took part in several startup activities (Kreditech.com, CashDirector.com, Grover.com, Supeksiegowa.pl) and professional services (accounting, payroll, debt collection).

He possesses a Ph.D. from Polish Academy of Sciences (1989) and ACCA certificate (member since 2002, FFCA since 2007); also due diligence certificate from Moody’s (2015) and Oxford Chicago Booth Valuation Program certificate from Oxford Saïd (2017) and MBA in financial and banking system (2024). For 10 years he worked in science and research at Polish Academy of Sciences, Max Planck Institute, Germany and Tohoku University, Japan

Dariusz served three terms as Member of the ACCA Polish Member Network Panel.

Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan, President

Elected to Council: 2016

Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan is the Chief Executive Officer of the Malaysia Professional Accountancy Centre (MyPAC). She started her career in PriceWaterhouse and then moved into banking, where she held several senior positions in Malaysia’s largest bank, Maybank.

She has been involved in ACCA since the 1990s, including serving as the Chair of the Malaysian Advisory Committee and in this role attending the International Assembly meetings in 2012 and 2014.

Datuk Zaiton was the Vice President of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), and Deputy Chair of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group.

Read our interview with Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan.

Denise Chinpire-O'Reilly

Denise Chinpire O’Reilly is a Chartered Accountant and business leader committed to strengthening the accountancy profession and advancing Caribbean representation globally. 

As Managing Director of K.S. Chinpire Contracting Services Limited, a third-generation family business serving Trinidad and Tobago’s energy and industrial sectors, she brings practical experience in financial management, governance, risk and the challenges facing small and medium-sized enterprises. 

A Fellow of ACCA and Past President of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago (ICATT), Denise has served the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean (ICAC) as Director, Secretary of the Executive, Chair of the PAO Development Committee and Chair of the CEO Forum. 

She serves on IFAC’s Membership Committee and represents the Caribbean on its PAO Development Advisory Group. She is also Co-Chair of the Energy Chamber of Trinidad and Tobago’s Women in Energy Task Force. 

Denise advocates for attracting and retaining talent, supporting career transitions, strengthening professional accountancy organisations and delivering effective business support. Her leadership is grounded in empathy, integrity, accountability and collaboration, connecting local experience with regional priorities and global perspectives.

Dinusha Weerawardane

Elected to Council: 2018

Dr Dinusha Weerawardane is the Head of Department for Accounting and Finance at Arden University. Prior to joining Arden, she was leading the subject areas of Accounting and Finance, Business Analytics and Digital Marketing, as well as several global partnerships, at the University of West London. Originally from Sri Lanka, she also has considerable experience in the higher education sector in the MESA region and is committed to building the ACCA brand globally.

Dinusha is a Principal Fellow of Advance HE, a Chartered Manager (CMI UK) and holds a PhD in Consumer Behaviour, an MSc. in International Business Management, an LLB (Hons) specialising in Business Law and a BSc. (Hons) in Applied Accounting. In 2022, she was awarded a National Teaching Fellowship from Advance HE for her work in promoting inclusiveness in higher education and empowering females into the finance profession. 

She has served on Council’s Regulatory Board and International Assembly, and sits on ACCA’s Global Forum for Education.

Read our interview with Dinusha.

Fen Nee Lim

Elected to Council: 2023

Fen Nee Lim currently serves as an independent non-executive director in public listed and financial services companies. Fen Nee was a former regional partner with Deloitte Southeast Asia, with over 25 years of experience in accounting, assurance and regulatory oversight. Prior to this, she was also involved in regulatory and audit oversight activities locally and internationally and also served in advisory role to securities regulator, covering various capital market initiatives. She has also served a posting in the United States and held consulting roles in the World Bank.

Among her contributions, she represented the authorities, accounting profession and the industry both locally and internationally. This included having served as a Council member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants (MIA), as the chair of the ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, ACCA International Assembly and the chair of the ACCA Malaysia Women’s Network, chair of the MIA Digital Technology Implementation Committee, ACCA Malaysia ESG Task Force and MIA Education Board.

Fen Nee is a fellow member of ACCA and holds a Maters of Business Administration of E-Commerce.

Gary Kent, Vice president

Elected to Council: 2022

Gary is the chief administrative officer (CAO) for Peel Region, the third largest municipality in Ontario, Canada, delivering services and infrastructure to 1.5 million residents and 175,000 businesses. He manages an annual fiscal budget of over $5 billion. The CAO is the most senior position within Peel, overseeing all staff, service delivery and infrastructure investments.

He has led many significant community and corporate transformational strategic initiatives in the UK and Canada, focused on delivering strategic public value.

As well as being an ACCA member, Gary is a CPA in Canada and earned a BA in Accountancy from Glasgow Caledonian University. He has graduated from the Directors Education Program from the Institute of Corporate Directors, Rotman School of Management, University of Toronto, holding the ICD.D designation. 

In addition to being elected to ACCA’s Council and sitting on ACCA’s Public Sector Global Forum, he has sat on many boards and is also currently a director with the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA).

You can learn more and connect with Gary on LinkedIn.

George Erumeda Varghese

Joined Council: 2025

George is a Fellow Member of ACCA since 1998 and has over 30 years of international experience as a director for multinationals across Africa, Middle East and Europe. He is CEO of Trinity Energy Sourcing, a business development consultancy for the energy sector.

Previously he served as CFO for energy and strategic sourcing at Lafarge Holcim Group overseeing operations in the Middle East, Africa, India and central Europe. George also worked with the Commonwealth Development Corporation, managing restructuring and acquisitions in Africa and the Middle East, and served as regional managing director for Pearson Education Group across several African countries.

An expert in multicultural leadership and networking, George frequently shares his experiences at international conferences and as visiting faculty at business schools worldwide. He has also chaired industrial associations and government advisory committees in education, trade, energy and environment in several countries.

George holds a bachelor’s degree in chemistry, an MBA in international business and has attended leadership programmes at INSEAD and Chicago University Booth School. A passionate advocate for ACCA, he served as chair of the ACCA India Members Committee and represented ACCA India at International Assembly, promoting the ACCA qualification in India, Egypt and southern Africa.

Graham Parker

Graham has extensive leadership and governance experience and is passionate about supporting businesses, communities and future leaders. He brings a collaborative and pragmatic approach to decision making, combining commercial insight with a commitment to responsible leadership, strong governance and positive impact. 

As a Director at Azets in Scotland, he advises businesses and organisations on financial management, governance, strategic growth and organisational development. He works with clients across a range of sectors, helping leadership teams navigate change, manage risk and build sustainable long-term success. 

Graham has been a member of the ACCA Scotland Committee since 2019 and was Chair along with International Assembly Representative between 2024 – 2025. He was also a member of the Practice Sector Panel contributing to discussions that help shape the future direction of the global accountancy profession. He is a strong advocate for professional development and the vital role finance professionals play in supporting economic growth and public trust. 

Alongside his professional responsibilities, Graham serves as Finance Director of Dundee & Angus Chamber of Commerce, providing financial oversight and supporting the strategic development of the business membership organisation. He is also a trustee of Dundee Museum of Transport, helping to preserve and promote the region's rich industrial and transport heritage.

Gráinne Murphy

Elected to Council: 2023

Gráinne qualified as an accountant with ACCA in 2006. Prior to being elected to Council, she served on the ACCA Financial Services Network Panel for nine years and was awarded the ACCA Ireland Advocate of the year for 2022/2023.

She is the CEO of Ballinasloe Credit Union, a member-owned financial co-operative. With a strong focus on community, she has led the implementation of various strategic business transformations, emphasising member service, digitalisation, and operational and financial resilience.

Gráinne’s contributions to the community and the broader financial sector include advocating for access to education and professional opportunities for women through her position as past president of the Business and Professional Women's network (BPW). She also played a pivotal role in advancing the presence of ACCA within the Credit Union sector in Ireland, setting up the ACCA Credit Union Interest Group and advocating for ACCA members working in the sector.

She also sits on the Women in Sport Commission of the Irish Judo Association and, in conjunction with the International Judo Federation, implemented the first 'Judo for Peace' program. This initiative supports refugees in Ireland, using Judo as a framework to provide space for personal development, empowerment and inclusion.

Heather Smith

Heather Smith brings a distinctive sparkly international perspective, shaped by a career spanning Europe, Asia, North America and Australia. 

An experienced communicator and educator, Heather has authored 11 business books, is a columnist for various accounting technology publications, and hosts the Accounting Apps Podcast, educating professionals about emerging technologies. Her lived experience of running a micro business gives her a practical understanding of the challenges and opportunities facing smaller practices and the businesses they support. 

Her contributions have been recognised with the ACCA ASEAN Regional Advocate of the Year Award and Accounting Thought Leader of the Year at the Australian Accounting Awards. Heather serves on the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) Council and values the longstanding strategic alliance between ACCA and CA ANZ. 

Heather is committed to strengthening ACCA's global community, sharing knowledge and ensuring diverse voices, including those of micro and small practitioners, are heard. She champions inclusiveness, embraces diversity, and advocates against elder financial abuse. Outside her professional commitments, Heather enjoys travelling, playing pickleball with her family, and adventuring with Chester the Border Collie. 

You can learn more and connect with Heather on LinkedIn. 

Helen Morgan

Elected to Council: 2022

Helen is an experienced finance and non-executive director working in the retail sector for one of the UK’s largest character clothing companies.

She became a fellow member of the ACCA in 2008. Prior to that, she attained her Accounting Technician qualification, first-class Applied Accounting degree, and an MBA through Oxford Brookes.

Helen has experience in a wide range of industries and sectors, including telecommunications, cloud services, BPOs, financial services and charitable institutions. Her roles have ranged from working in FP&A (finance, planning and analytics) and accounting, to director and senior/non-executive positions.

She became an ACCA panel member for the South Wales region back in 2018, and has supported ACCA students and members in the UK and worldwide, including delivering keynote speeches, contributing towards research projects and panel discussions, She has also contributed to podcasts on topics such as ‘Leading the global footprint’ and ‘Accounting for the future’.

Ian Ng

Elected to Council: 2022

Ian has 22 years finance experience in multiple industries. He started with PwC Malaysia as an auditor where he worked for four years before moving to Ernst & Young China for another two years. He then joined Eaton Corporation as APAC M&A manager before moving to handle business finance for Eaton Electrical China. 

He joined GE in year 2012 as CFO for GE R&D organisation and moved within GE to be CFO for GE Transportation China for almost five years. 

Ian then worked at Nielsen from 2018 to 2021, before moving to Ammega APAC where has been since May 2021, leading the finance, IT and M&A functions. 

Ian was previously an ACCA International Assembly Member, and served on the ACCA Business Forum Committee, and the Central China Steering Committee.

Read our interview with Ian.

James Lizars

Elected to Council: 2022

James is the founder and CEO of Thrive, a purpose-led SMP that works with early-stage tech businesses. Thrive has the distinction of being B Corp certified and is a signatory of the Million Tree Pledge. This beyond-profit focus was recognised with the award of Sustainability Initiative of the Year 2022 by the International Accounting Bulletin. 

A member since 2005, James began his accounting career in industry, primarily working within advertising and digital agencies. Holding FP&A (finance, planning and analytics) and finance director roles in multinational and SME businesses, he has championed employee engagement as a growth driver. 

Starting his own practice in 2013 as a sole founder, James has developed a keen appreciation for the challenges and rewards of running a small business. Recognised as a supporter of the UN Global Goals, he promotes the SME business case for pursuing a purpose beyond profit as a speaker at industry events and contributor to industry publications.

Jennifer Tan

Elected to Council: 2022

Jennifer Tan is the EVP – Strategy Development and Government Affairs, GBA of Ant Group. As well as being an ACCA member, she also holds an MBA.

She has been an active leader in promoting Fintech industry and the accounting profession. In 2021, she was named winner of the Outstanding Women Professionals and Entrepreneurs Award and was named by the Fintech Magazine as one of Fintech’s Top 100 Leaders in a global league table. In 2019, she was named ACCA Advocate of the Year, both for Hong Kong and Greater China.  Jennifer is the immediate past chair of ACCA Hong Kong.

Jennifer is active in voluntary community services, especially in the development of young people and has been serving various universities in Hong Kong as a chair or member of the advisory committees.  

Joe O’Regan

Elected to Council: 2022

Joe has spent the majority of his career supporting international operations in both for-profit and non-profit settings. He has led finance and HR teams, international tax reporting, audit liaison teams, accreditation renewals for educational institutions, the implementation of emergency management response plans, and the establishment of an overseas presence in numerous countries.

Joe is the managing director of Harvard Global Support Services and Harvard International Office at Harvard University. In this role Joe and his team operate research centres across the globe, advise on operating overseas, support international students and scholars with visas, immigration and related services, and oversee the international safety and security program.

He also serves as both the vice president for Operations and the secretary for Harvard Global Research and Support Services Inc, as well as having various board appointments with Harvard Global and its overseas affiliates.

He serves as the ACCA chapter head for the Boston area and is an ACCA Europe and Americas Advocate of the Year Award winner.

Kelvin Chow Chung Yip

Elected to Council: 2025

Kelvin is Independent Director of Starhill Global REIT, EC World REIT and Addvalue Technologies Ltd listed on Singapore Exchange (“SGX’).

He was most recently CEO of Lendlease Global Commercial REIT listed on SGX. He was named Executive of the Year (Commercial Real Estate Trust) at the SBR Management Excellence Awards 2023 as well as Best CEO (Gold) and Best CEO (Platinum) at the Asia Pacific Best of the Breeds REITs Award in 2023 and 2024.

Kelvin’s expertise spans REITs, private funds and capital markets and he has more than 30 years of experience indirect real estate investments and fund management. Before joining Lendlease, he was CFO of various REITs including Keppel REIT and Soilbuild REIT. Under his guidance, both REITs received recognition at the Singapore Corporate Awards in 2016 (Best Annual Report (Gold) and 2014 (Best Investor Relations (Merit) and Best Annual Report (Bronze).

Kelvin is a member of the Corporate Governance and Risk Management Committee of the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants. He was previously a member of the executive committee of the REIT Association of Singapore and co-chair of REITAS' sustainability taskforce, where he guided the association in helping members accelerate their sustainability journey.

Kit Sun Wilson Cheng

Wilson Cheng has been a member of ACCA since 2003 and served as Chair of the ACCA Hong Kong Committee for 2025–26. 

He is a Partner and the Tax Leader of EY Hong Kong and Macao, with more than 25 years of experience in the tax profession. His primary focus is Hong Kong tax controversy and dispute resolution, advising clients on complex tax matters and in their engagements with tax authorities. He also has extensive experience advising clients on the tax aspects of cross-border transactions, business restructurings and other complex commercial matters. 

Wilson has also been a qualified mediator in Hong Kong for more than 10 years, bringing dispute resolution skills and perspectives to his professional work. 

He is passionate about contributing to the continued development of the accounting profession and supporting ACCA’s global community through collaboration, professional development and engagement with members and stakeholders.

Lock Peng Kuan

Elected to Council: 2018

Lock is the Managing Partner in audit & assurance at Baker Tilly Malaysia.

Since first joining ACCA in 2000, Lock has served on ACCA’s Public Practice Committee (including as chairman), Malaysia Advisory Committee (as Deputy President), International Assembly, and as the chairman of ACCA’s Global Forum for Audit and Assurance.

Lock is a member of the Audit and Assurance Standards Board (AASB), and member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants, where he sits on the Capital Market Advisory Committee. Lock is also a member of the Industry Advisory Board of two colleges and Professional Standards Committee of Baker Tilly International.

Read our interview with Lock Peng Kuan.

Manenzhe Manenzhe

Joined Council: 2025

Manenzhe is a Fellow of ACCA, qualified in 2011. He is a seasoned CFO and an expert in turnaround strategy. He helped the Parliament of South Africa obtain its first clean audit opinion in 2015. He also led the Northwest Provincial Legislature in achieving its first clean audit in 2024.

Manenzhe won the Africa ACCA Public Sector CFO of the Year award in 2022. He has been involved in inspiring students in schools and universities about the benefits of ACCA membership and the opportunities that come with qualifying as an ACCA member.

Manohar Johnson

Manohar Johnson is a partner with PwC Malaysia with almost 30 years of experience serving a variety of clients across multinational, family owned and government sectors. 

Being part of the ACCA family was a natural progression as Mano pursued his career in PwC Malaysia. He started off by being part of the Public Practice Committee in the 2010s and then moved on to the Malaysia Advisory Committee, where he served as the Chair from 2023 to 2025. This enabled Mano to give back to ACCA by leading and providing perspectives on matters impacting the profession in Malaysia, aided by his appointment to the Malaysian Institute of Accountants as the representative of ACCA Malaysia. 

In recent years, Mano has upskilled by taking on ‘sustainability’ as a new role within PwC Malaysia. He has been involved in several projects for both the securities regulator and PLCs, and is currently the Malaysian Accounting Standards Board Working Group project manager for the implementation of ISSB Sustainability Standards in Malaysia. Mano has used this experience to provide strategic insights as a committee member of the Malaysian Institute of Accountants and advisor to the ACCA Malaysia Sustainability Taskforce. 

Mano has participated in various roundtable discussions with ACCA and the profession on the subject of sustainability and shared how it not only impacts future accountants but also the world that we live in. 

Mano aims to bring his experience to strategically support ACCA in advancing its purpose to be a force for public good and leading the global accountancy profession by creating opportunity.   

Martin Brennan

Elected to Council: 2025

Martin Brennan is the founder and CEO of Onside Accounting, a multi-award-winning UK firm supporting high-growth technology startups and SMEs. Having progressed from AAT to ACCA through the apprenticeship route, Martin qualified in record time, passing all ACCA exams in just four sittings with first-time passes.

Raised in a disadvantaged part of the UK, Martin is passionate about creating opportunities and widening access to the profession. He has mentored aspiring accountants who have gone on to build successful careers and practices of their own. As a forward-thinking and technology-driven leader, he guided Onside through investment from a US-based technology business with a vision to become one of the world’s first fully tech-enabled accounting practices.

Martin believes technology will shape the future of professional services, but that people remain at its core. He is committed to advancing apprenticeships, practical training and wellbeing across the profession to ensure it continues to inspire the next generation.

Melanie Proffitt, Past president

Elected to Council: 2015

Melanie Proffitt is the CFO for Farncombe Estate, a private estate in the Cotswolds which is home to three luxury hotels. Her role extends beyond financial stewardship - she is responsible for all aspects of financial management, statutory reporting, taxation, legal, IT, sales and marketing, and company secretarial duties.

During her career Melanie has specialised in organisations that are going through change, providing support and driving improvements through operational insight, whilst also effectively managing multiple stakeholder relationships.

Melanie has built on her ACCA Qualification with an MBA from Warwick Business School and a postgraduate diploma in sales and marketing from the Chartered Institute of Marketing. She has gained valuable business experience that encompasses general, commercial and finance management, across a range of market sectors, including hospitability, healthcare, print and packaging, automotive and heavy engineering.

In a governance capacity, Melanie has been an independent governor at North Warwickshire and South Leicestershire College (NWSLC), and was chair of their Finance Committee. During her time at NWSLC the college went through a merger where she was actively involved in ensuring that good governance was upheld throughout the process, whilst also streamlining and reviewing the effectiveness of the governance structure. Post-merger and review she went on to chair their Audit Committee.

Read our interview with Melanie.

Merina Abu Tahir

Merina Abu Tahir has over 30 years of working experience in various senior management roles in finance, accounting, business development, audit, governance and ethics; in Malaysia, the UK, Middle East, Africa and South America.

She currently sits as an independent non-executive director on the boards of several Malaysian public-listed companies.

Merina is active in the development and promotion of the accounting profession through current appointments in ACCA Global Forum on Governance Risk & Performance, ACCA Malaysia Women Network, ACCA Malaysia ESG Task Force, Malaysian Institute of Accountant (MIA) Education Board and MIA Professional Accountants in Business Committee.

Merina is the past chair of ACCA Malaysia Advisory Committee, past MIA Council member and past Executive Committee member of the International Association of Airline Internal Auditors.

Read our interview with Merina.

Nandila Mubiana

Elected to Council: 2025

A seasoned strategic and transformational leader, Nandila brings a wealth of experience as a financial management and compliance expert. Nandila is a Country Team Leader for GFA Consulting Group.

Natalie Chan

Elected to Council: 2019

Natalie, from Hong Kong, has been a member of ACCA since 1998 and became a Fellow in 2003.  She has also served as a board member of ACCA Greater Bay Area Advisory Board since 2019 and was ACCA Hong Kong (SAR) chair 2018-19.

Her professional interests are in providing audit and advisory services to financial institutions in Hong Kong (SAR) and China including listed financial institutions, securities and asset management companies and investment funds. 

Since 2011 she has been a partner at Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu and has recently been appointed as the Hong Kong Banking & Capital Markets Leader of Deloitte in August 2023, leading the various functions and business lines to support banking and capital markets clients and stakeholders.   

She is a member of Hong Kong Red Cross and enjoys jogging, hiking, wine tasting and movies. 

Nauman Asif Mian

Elected to Council: 2020

Nauman was recognised as one of the Top 10 CFOs in the GCC by the Khaleej Times and featured in the CFO Powerlist. He was also honoured with The Most Influential CFO award in 2023. Nauman is serving as the chief financial officer at Bayt.com Inc., an international tech organisation from the Middle East.

Nauman has received multiple awards and nominations, including Chartered Accountant of the Year and Young Accountant of the Year at the Finance & Accountancy Middle East Awards. Nauman is the first member to be elected from the UAE at the ACCA Global Council.

He is also a certified internal auditor and holds multiple honorary positions. Nauman’s career commenced at PricewaterhouseCoopers, followed by a significant role at the FTSE-listed No.1 health and fitness provider in the UK.

Nauman serves as an Advisory Council Member of Business School at the American University of Dubai. He has also chaired the ACCA UAE Members Advisory Committee and is an active member of the Global Tax Forum and Global Business Forum at ACCA. 

He is married with two children.

Nguyen Vu Duc

Elected to Council: 2024

Nguyen Duc Vu has been with Deloitte for more than 24 years, providing audit services to a diverse range of clients, from local and multinational companies and foreign direct investments (FDI) to state-owned corporations.

He has also delivered training courses and consultancy services to professional organisations and is a frequent guest speaker at conferences and training sessions on corporate governance, internal audit, audit and accounting technique and management. This multifaceted experience has reinforced his commitment to fostering innovation and excellence within the audit and accounting sector.

He is committed to working collaboratively with my fellow members to advance ACCA’s mission and vision and shape a future where the accountancy profession continues to play a pivotal role in building trust and driving progress in the global economy.

Nigel Anthony Adams

Elected to Council: 2025

Nigel Adams is the Managing Director and founder of Ad Valorem Group, a multi-award-winning accountancy and advisory practice in the UK. After qualifying as a Chartered Certified Accountant, Nigel held senior finance roles in industry, including as Chief Group Accountant for a major international oil and gas organisation. His work in group financial reporting, acquisition, integration and forensic accounting provided a solid commercial grounding and an understanding of the pressures faced by business leaders.

Nigel founded Ad Valorem in 2001 with a commitment to delivering proactive, relationship-focused support to entrepreneurs and SMEs. Under his leadership, the firm has grown significantly and has been recognised nationally for excellence in advisory services, digital transformation and client support. Ad Valorem’s achievements include awards for Client Service, Digital Firm of the Year, and Advisory Firm of the Year.

In acknowledgement of his contribution to modernising accountancy practice and championing progressive advisory approaches, Nigel was named Pioneer of the Year at the 2021 Accounting Excellence Awards.

Nigel is particularly passionate about business owner wellbeing, recognising the personal challenges that accompany growing and leading a company. He regularly speaks at industry events on leadership, culture and the importance of supporting founders behind the numbers.

Philip Maher

Elected to Council: 2021

Philip is a Dubliner who now lives in Limerick, where he is the Founder and CEO of Sustainblebusiness.ie. He has been an ACCA member since 2005. 

He has served on the ACCA Ireland Committee since 2018, chaired the ACCA Munster Panel 2017-2019 and was elected chair of ACCA Ireland in 2021. 

Philip holds a BSc in Management (majoring in Accountancy) and recently attained a PG Cert (1st Class Hons) in Sustainable Development for Business in Trinity College Dublin.

Philip is a financial and sustainability advisor with 25 years’ practice and industry experience in advising clients on strategic and financial matters, and corporate finance. 

Read our interview with Philip

Philip is a strong advocate for the urgent need to address the climate emergency, and is proud that ACCA is dedicated to playing its part in doing that.

Qinxue Mei

Elected to Council: 2024

Major, as he is more commonly known, is a DBA scholar and former senior executive with over 25 years of cross-sector leadership experience in multinational and publicly listed corporations. Most recently he served as Senior Vice President, Group COO and CHRO at Jiawei Renewable Energy, a publicly listed company in China. Previously, he held senior roles at global organisations such as Nestlé, Mattel and ICI Group, with his career spanning strategic finance, operations and human capital management. He also served as a part-time ACCA lecturer for three years.

He holds a Global MBA from Manchester Business School and is currently advancing toward completion of his Executive DBA at Université Paris-Dauphine-PSL in conjunction with Beijing National Accounting Institute, where his doctoral research examines the career transition from CFO to CEO.

Since joining ACCA in 2013, Major has won the ACCA China Advocate of the Year 2018 award. He previously chaired the ACCA Southern China Steering Team, is a member of the ACCA China Professional Expert Forum and served as an ACCA International Assembly representative 2020-2021.

In 2014, Major established Major's Club, a non-governmental organisation (NGO) dedicated to supporting thousands of ACCA students and members. For more than six years he has served as an industry mentor for the Accounting Master programme at The Chinese University of Hong Kong (Shenzhen) and Guangdong University of Finance.

Rauf Ali Jan

Rauf Ali Jan is Global Chief Internal Auditor and Secretary Board Audit Committee at HBL (HBL operates in 8 countries, have 1700+ branches, 40 million customers and 20,000+ employees). 

Across 20 years in Pakistan, Oman, the Bahamas and Canada, with PwC, RSM, EY and RBC, he has seen how assurance works in different regulatory and cultural settings. He advocates agile, forward-looking auditing that spots risk before it materialises, and he sees auditors as trusted advisors who help organisations make better decision. 

He serves on the Board of NiFT, where he contributes to the evolution of Pakistan's financial ecosystem, with a focus on using technology to extend financial inclusion to the unbanked and underserved. 

Rauf believes a profession grows by investing in its people. In Canada, he mentored internationally educated professionals, using his own experience of settling in a new market to help them find their footing. He actively participated several organisations like CPA Ontario, access employment, IEP Canada. In Pakistan, he continues to mentor the next generation of finance professionals. He was instrumental in building ACCA communities. He also attended International Assembly from 2024-26 as Chair MNP Pakistan. He holds an MBA from the Schulich School of Business and a postgraduate diploma in cyber security from NED University.

Sallahuddin (Den) Surfraz

Elected to Council: 2020

Mohammad Sallah-ud-din (Den) Surfraz has been a member of ACCA since 2009 and is also a certified fraud examiner (CFE).  He has more than 30 years experience in the financial services industry and his expertise is mainly in the areas of financial crime investigations, risk management and compliance. An advocate of the profession for the last 10 years, Den is also board member of the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA) as a representative of Mauritius Institute of Professional Accountants (MIPA), and is the vice chair of MIPA.

He is the market head – risk and governance of TMF Group for the region of India - Middle East and Africa. His previous position was with Butterfield Group as head of compliance for Mauritius, with Citco as global operation control and KYC AML Manager.  He has also worked as an investigator at the Financial Intelligence Unit and as a police officer, mainly with the Anti-Drugs and Smuggling Unit (ADSU).

Shahzaib Sanwal

Shahzaib Sanwal, FCCA, is a Consulting Partner at EY MENA, based in Pakistan, with extensive experience in business transformation, strategy and organisational change. He advises public and private sector organizations across Pakistan and the Middle East, helping them navigate complex transformation programs, strengthen governance and improve organizational performance. 

A Fellow of both ACCA and the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan (ICAP), Shahzaib also holds a Technology MBA from Hult International Business School. He is a Certified Director and serves on the Board of Damen Support Programme, where he chairs the Audit Committee. 

Shahzaib has maintained a longstanding association with ACCA through professional education, member engagement and volunteer leadership. He has contributed to ACCA Pakistan’s Members Network Panel and is a member of ACCA’s Global Forum for the Public Sector. 

He is passionate about developing future-ready finance professionals, strengthening engagement across ACCA’s global membership and creating greater opportunities for members across markets.

Shujuan (Jane) Yang

Elected to Council: 2022

Jane is the managing partner of EY Hua Ming, the Government & Infrastructure Market Segment leader of EY Greater China and an Advisory Council member of EY APAC. She used to work in EY London for two years and EY Chicago for 18 months. Jane graduated from Renmin University in Beijing with major in Economics in 1994. She also has an MBA from University of British Columbia.  

She has been a guest professor for the Master of Professional Accounting of Renmin University for more than 10 years. She is also an accounting expert engaged by China’s Ministry of Finance.  

Jane is responsible for the audit and project management of a number of state-owned companies, privately owned companies as well as multinational joint ventures. Industry coverage ranged from pharmaceuticals and biotech science, consumer products, industrial products, construction, mining and retail. She is familiar with International Financial Reporting Standards, Hong Kong SAR Financial Reporting Standards, US Generally Accepted Accounting Principles and Chinese Accounting Standards.

She was previously the Chair of the ACCA China North Steering Committee and an ACCA International Assembly representative.

Stephen Doyle

Elected to Council: 2024

Stephen Doyle is head of Real Estate, Technology and Operations at EY Ireland. Stephen qualified with ACCA in 2018 and has been a key advocate for ACCA since qualifying. He has held a number of roles with ACCA such as Technology Committee lead, chair of the Leinster Panel, vice chair of the Ireland committee and culminating in him been elected to the role of Ireland chair in 2023. Stephen comes from Dublin in Ireland, and has worked and lived all over the world with his qualification including, Australia, Poland, Italy and the UK.

His passion is to encourage the next generation of accountants into the profession and ensure the role of the accountant evolves in line with business and world needs. Stephen is a keen runner and prioritises spending quality time with family and friends.

Trusha Lakhani

Elected to Council: 2022

Trusha has been an ACCA member since 1997. Her other qualifications are an MSc Computing from DeMontfort University and B.Com from University of Mysore.

She has also been actively involved in local, national and international panels. She is a former member of International Assembly, is a past chair of the Leicestershire panel, and is a member of the UK Corporate Sector panel.

Trusha is a multi-award-winning business coach and fractional CFO specialising in SMEs, and passionate about business growth, digitalisation, and sustainability.

She has held various roles in a variety of local and international organisations throughout her 30-year career. This has allowed her to move between a variety of roles from standard accounting to IT integrations, to company growth projects, board participation - and today as a business owner herself.

One of her biggest joys is meeting our members and learning about their journeys and their diverse roles.

Urooj Farhat Khan

Elected to Council: 2024

Urooj Khan is a director in KPMG Middle East. She is also ESG assurance leader in KPMG for UAE and Oman. Her work involves providing increased confidence to stakeholders on ESG disclosures and plays an important role in building trust around the robustness of the information disclosed in ESG reporting.

Urooj was born and raised in UAE. She closely works with various NGOs in achieving SDG Goal 4: Education, and supports the reduction of disparities and inequities in education, both in terms of access and quality. She is also an advocate for inclusion, diversity and equity and supports the UAE Women Leadership pledge. She was recently awarded Most Supportive Women Leader in Finance for her role is empowering women and supporting them to accelerate in leadership positions.

Victoria Ajayi

Elected to Council: 2021

Victoria is CEO for TVC Communications in Lagos and she has also studied and worked in the UK. She is a member of the Institute of Directors, Nigeria.

Victoria helped launch ACCA Women’s Network Nigeria, where she is involved in encouraging and equipping women to develop their capacity for leadership.

She is a seasoned executive with over 15 years of experience in treasury, management and financial accounting, project finance and financial planning and investment.

Victoria graduated with a BSc (Hons) in Applied Accounting from Oxford Brookes University, Oxford, and holds a Masters in Financial Management from Liverpool John Moores University.

She sits on the advisory board of a gender finance and impact investment fintech firm.

Waleed Shahnawaz

Elected to Council: 2025

Waleed Shahnawaz, a young Group CFO, is a globally experienced finance leader with over 14 years of impact across the UAE, Canada, Australia, and other international markets. He has held senior roles in multinational corporations, Big Four firms including KPMG and EY, and major government entities.

He holds prestigious global professional designations - FCCA (UK), CPA (Canada), CIA (US) - and dual master’s degrees in Finance and Professional Accounting from world-class Australian universities. Waleed combines technical excellence with strategic vision. He is further distinguished by completing the Strategic CFO Program at Harvard Business School, equipping him to transform challenges into strategic opportunities.

His expertise spans financial transformation, governance, performance management, AI-driven digital innovation and risk management  - capabilities essential for shaping the future of the accountancy profession. Waleed has led finance departments for large multinationals and advised multi-billion-dollar organisations on IPO readiness, mergers and acquisitions, joint ventures and public reporting. He has driven fiscal policy reviews, implemented robust internal controls over financial reporting (ICFR), and spearheaded digital transformation projects for government entities and corporates.

A passionate advocate for ACCA, Waleed has served as Network Panel Chair for ACCA Canada, International Assembly member, and contributes to the ACCA UAE Members Advisory Committee. His vision: to build a future-ready profession rooted in integrity, adaptability, and global collaboration.

Winnie Ki

Elected to Council: 2023

Winnie is an assurance partner in EY Hong Kong, specialising in hospitality, retail and consumer products. She has extensive experience in serving clients involving audits, IPOs, advisory and corporate governance matters.  She is also a people partner engaging in talent and resources management in the firm.

Winnie has been a member of ACCA since 1996.  She served as the chair of ACCA Hong Kong for 2022/23.  Prior to that, she was a committee member of ACCA Hong Kong serving on various sub-committees including Student Affairs and Professional Development from 2016 to 2022.  She was the representative of International Assembly from 2021 to 2023.

She is keen to develop young talent and has been acting as a member of advisory committees, as a mentor, and as an executive committee member supporting universities and students.

Xiaohui Xi (Chris)

Xiaohui (Chris) is an FCCA and finance leader with over 20 years of experience across top-tier multinational companies. She currently serves as Finance Director at Johnson & Johnson Innovative Medicine China, leading business partnering to enable sustainable business growth. Previously, she was CFO of Cisco Greater China and held multiple senior leadership roles at Royal Dutch Shell. 

Her extensive expertise spans digital transformation, business partnering, JV governance, M&A and investor relations, gained through global assignments in Asia and EMEA. 

Beyond corporate finance leadership, Xiaohui is deeply engaged with the ACCA community. She has served on the ACCA International Assembly and chaired the ACCA North China Steering Committee, supporting finance professionals’ career growth. She mentors early-career talent, volunteers with NGOs for environmental and wellbeing programmes, and is a University Guest Professor, lecturing on intelligent finance and business partnering. She regularly speaks at high-profile industry forums. 

As a Council member, Xiaohui aims to connect global best practices with local market practice, enhance ACCA’s member value proposition and develop future-ready finance professionals.