Chartered Accountants Worldwide today announced that Ainslie van Onselen, CEO of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), has been appointed as the next Chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) with unanimous support from the CAW Board.

When making the announcement Chartered Accountants Worldwide thanked Michael Izza for his hard work during his time as Chair, who steps down after six years in the role ahead of his retirement as CEO of the Institute of Chartered Accountants England and Wales.

“It has been a privilege to be Chairman of Chartered Accountants Worldwide and to see the family grow from strength to strength over the last six years to include 15 member institutes and more than 1.8 million members and students worldwide,” said outgoing Chair Michael Izza.

“We have made huge inroads into leading the sustainability conversation, but there is more still to be done. I know the organisation is in safe and dynamic hands and Ainslie will build on what we have already achieved and continue to promote the vital role that Chartered Accountants play around the world.”

Ms van Onselen’s appointment takes affect from 14th November 2023, for an initial two-year term. Her appointment marks two milestones: it’s the first time a woman has been the Chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide and it’s also the first time the Chair has been from CA ANZ.

“It is a great honour to be appointed Chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide. Michael Izza has done a phenomenal job in promoting the Chartered Accountancy profession and bringing together 15 member institutes from around the world - a community of almost two million Chartered Accountants in more than 190 countries. 

“It’s such an important time for the profession. With the world focused on sustainability, accountants have a vital role to play in driving sustainable business transformation - from instigating action through to evaluating strategies, as well as measuring and reporting performance.

“Social, cultural and environmental values stand right next to economic value. For a business, and the profession, to be truly sustainable in the long-term, they must show value creation across these areas.

“At the same time, there is a spotlight shining very brightly on ethics and integrity, and there is much we can do together to ensure they remain the cornerstone of our profession.

“Whether it’s opportunities in ESG, sustainability or AI, or working towards a more attractive profession and an even stronger ethical standing – we gain so much from working together,” said Ms van Onselen.

“Michael has done a phenomenal job in promoting Chartered Accountants as trust leaders and incorporating new member institutes from all corners of the globe. I look forward to continuing this important work,” said Ms van Onselen.

CAW Members Institutes:

ICAM – Institute of Chartered Accountants in Malawi
ICAN – Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria 
ICAB – The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Bangladesh
CA Sri Lanka - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka
IAI - Institute of Indonesia Chartered Accountants
ZICA – Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants 
ICAP – The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan 
ICAI - The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India