Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan, Malaysian finance leader and long-standing advocate for access to accountancy, becomes president of the global accountancy body
An experienced Malaysian finance professional and champion of wider access to the accountancy profession has been elected president of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants). Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan will lead more than 266,000 members and 546,000 future members across 179 countries during her year of office.
Her presidency comes at a time of change for accountants who are experiencing a widening of their roles as AI and new technologies bring new opportunities and challenges. At the same time, a greater focus on sustainability and social value is changing how they measure success.
She takes her role as ACCA prepares to introduce its redesigned qualification in mid-2027. Informed by this redefinition of the accountancy profession’s role, it will equip future finance professionals with the skills, ethical judgment and adaptability they need to thrive in a changed world.
First elected to ACCA’s Council in 2016, Datuk Zaiton brings deep experience across auditing, banking and governance. Over her career she has held senior positions in the profession, including time with PwC, and launched and led one of Malaysia’s national credit ratings agencies. Her tenure as vice president and deputy president has seen her work with ACCA members across Asia Pacific and around the world.
Datuk Zaiton is CEO of the Malaysia Professional Accountancy Centre (MyPAC), a non-profit that helps young people from lower-income backgrounds build careers in finance. She is also chair of GX Bank, Malaysia’s first digital bank, and holds several board and advisory roles promoting sound governance and professional development. She is passionate about the role accountancy can play in opening opportunity and advancing social mobility.
Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan, president of ACCA, said: ‘It’s a tremendous honour to serve as president of ACCA, an organisation that has shaped my life and career. I came into this profession because it was open to anyone willing to work for it, whatever their background, and I’ve seen how it can lift people and whole communities. Opportunity is everything, and accountancy remains one of the most powerful routes to it.
‘Our newly redesigned ACCA Qualification retains an open access route and will help to change the face of accountancy education worldwide, preparing the next generation for a profession where technology is taking on routine work and freeing accountants for work of far greater value. That value lies in the judgment, insight and ethics that only people can bring.
‘The world needs accountants now more than ever as enablers of new technology, drivers of sustainable business and promoters of social value. Accountancy is being redefined in exciting ways, and I’m proud to be part of a profession that keeps ethics and the human element at the heart of business, creating value for people, planet and prosperity.’
Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan is joined in the leadership of ACCA’s global governing Council by fellow officers, deputy president Cristina Gutu, a KPMG director from Romania, and vice president Gary Kent, a senior leader in regional government, from Canada.
Datuk Zaiton takes over the presidential role from Melanie Proffitt from the UK, former CFO of Farncombe Estate, three award-winning hotels on a 400-acre estate in the Cotswolds, England. Datuk Zaiton paid tribute to Melanie’s leadership over the past year and her work championing accessible, flexible careers in accountancy right across ACCA’s global community.
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About ACCA
We are ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the only truly global professional accountancy body. Since we were founded in 1904, we’ve been breaking down barriers to the accountancy profession. Today we proudly support a diverse community of over 266,100 members and 546,500 future members in 179 countries.
We’re redefining accountancy. Our cutting-edge qualifications, continuous learning and insights are respected and valued by employers in every sector. They equip individuals with the business and finance expertise and ethical judgment to lead and drive sustainable value in organisations and economies worldwide.
Guided by our purpose and values, we’re leading the accountancy profession for a changed world. Partnering with policymakers, standard setters, the donor community, educators and other accountancy bodies, we’re strengthening and building a profession that focuses on people, planet and prosperity to create value for all.
Find out more at: www.accaglobal.com
