Ainslie van Onselen Named First Female Chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide

As the incoming head of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), Ainslie van Onselen, CEO of CA ANZ, becomes the organization's first female leader and the first representative of CA ANZ. In November, she will take over for Michael Izza, the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales' chair and CEO. Mr. Michael expressed his appreciation for her selection and his trust in her capacity to continue advancing the crucial function of chartered accountants across the world.

Given the present focus on accountants' ethics and integrity, Ms Ainslie views her two-year appointment as a significant honour and has committed to raise the profession's status. She emphasises the significance of social, cultural, and environmental values in addition to economic value and feels that accountants have a critical role in advancing sustainable company transformation.

Since taking over as CEO of CA ANZ in 2020, Ms Ainslie has also presided over an inquiry into tax leaks at PwC and a professional conduct review in response to the KPMG cheating scandal. A net-zero emissions objective was also made in 2021 by CA ANZ in conjunction with CPA Australia and 11 other accounting groups globally.

In order to address issues and seize possibilities in fields like ESG, sustainability, and AI, Ms. Ainslie thinks teamwork is essential. By doing so, accountants will have a more appealing profession and a higher ethical reputation.