About Vanessa Chapman

Vanessa is CA ANZ’s General Counsel and Group Executive, Corporate Assurance.  She has almost 30 years’ experience as a corporate lawyer and governance professional in top-tier private practice and in-house financial services legal roles. She has significant experience as a trusted adviser to boards and business leaders on ESG, legal, risk and compliance issues, delivery of ASX Corporate Governance practices and managing operational risk and compliance functions.

Vanessa joined Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand in 2021 from NPP Australia – an industry joint venture established to build and operate real time interbank payments – where she was General Counsel / Company Secretary and responsible for the development of the company’s corporate, legal, risk management, regulatory engagement and governance functions. 

Vanessa is dedicated to upholding CA ANZ’s reputation as an effective professional body and the high public trust in, and reputation of, Chartered Accountants. In her role at CA ANZ, Vanessa is focused on leveraging her expertise, leadership and values in the service of strengthening CA ANZ’s Conduct and Professional Standards functions which are directed to upholding professional and ethical standards of all members, as well as leading the organisation’s Legal, Governance and Risk and Assurance practices, building on the strong foundations these teams have in place.

Vanessa holds a BA (Econ.)/LLB and Master of Laws (Corporate and Commercial) from University of New South Wales and is a Graduate member of the Australian Institute Company Directors and graduate of the Cranlana Executive Colloquium. 

She is also a Fellow of the Governance Institute of Australia, a member of the Law Society of New South Wales who has served on the Society’s Professional Conduct Committee and is an Advocate Member of The Ethics Centre.