As we commence a new year, Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ) recognises the achievements of our members in 2022, particularly the appointment of 190 new Fellows and four new Life Members.

These awards are a symbol of the meaningful service and contribution members have made to their profession and the wider community, says CA ANZ President Murray Harrington FCA.

“This is a well-deserved milestone for these members and recognition of their impact, resilience and hard work over their careers.”

“The high calibre of members receiving this honour is a testament to our profession and demonstrates how valued and respected members are across business, education, charities, communities and the public sector,” said Harrington.

“This is a well-deserved milestone for these members and recognition of their impact, resilience and hard work over their careers.”

Fellowships

Fellowships distinguish members who have made a contribution to the accounting profession through services to their community, participation in professional bodies and dedication to research or writing within the accounting field.

Fellowships have been awarded to 190 members across eight countries, hailing from Fiji, the United States, the United Kingdom, Malaysia, Singapore, Hong Kong, Australia and New Zealand.

Life Members

As the highest honour bestowed by CA ANZ, Life Membership recognises the exceptional careers and service of senior members of the profession.

Life Membership is awarded very rarely, with a cap of only 40 members at any time. There are currently 29 Life Members.

Widely respected in the community and the profession, four members were elevated to Life Members in 2022: Caji Desouza FCA, Derek Parkin FCA, John Shewan FCA and Jan West FCA.

Ignatius Cajetan (Caji) Desouza FCA

Based in Queensland, Australia, Caji Desouza joined the Metropolitan Permanent Building Society (MPBS) as Internal Auditor in 1974. He became a CA ANZ member that same year and a Fellow in 1979.

Caji was Company Secretary and then General Manager, Finance and Planning at the MPBS where he became deeply involved in its conversion into Metway Bank in 1988. He assisted in the merger of Metway Bank with Suncorp Group and the Queensland Industry Development Corporation in 1996, which formed the largest publicly listed company in Queensland, Suncorp Metway.

Throughout his career, Caji has been appointed President of a range of professional and industry groups, including the Queensland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Building Societies Institute in Australia and New Zealand, Institute of Internal Auditors, Brisbane Chapter, and Mortgage Banks Association, Queensland Branch.

Caji has volunteered his expertise to assist his fellow members and the community through the Queensland Chartered Accountants Advisory Group (CAAG), the Finance and Investment Committee of St Vincent de Paul Queensland, the Micro Finance organisation of Opportunity International, and Lifeline. He was awarded the then-ICAA Meritorious Service Award in 2004.

Derek Parkin OAM FCA FAICD

A CA ANZ member since 1983, Derek Parkin was a long-standing partner in the Assurance and Business Advisory Services practice of Arthur Andersen and, ultimately, Ernst & Young. His 30 years in the profession included roles in Africa, Europe, America and Australia.

Derek subsequently applied his experience to the tertiary education sector from 2003 to 2020, as a Professor of Accounting at the University of Notre Dame Australia, where his roles also included those of Associate Dean and Dean of the University’s School of Business.

He is currently the Independent Chairman of Southern Cross Electrical Engineering Ltd and Independent Chair of the AMA(WA) Audit & Risk Committee, previously serving as a non-executive Director of Coogee Resources Limited, the non-executive Chair of Novetec Building Products Pty Ltd and an independent member of the Victorian Auditor General’s Office’s Audit and Risk Committee.

Over the years, Derek has contributed to the then-ICAA and CA ANZ through roles on the Board, Education Board, Audit Advisory Committee, Professional Conduct Committee, WA Council and currently, CAAG.

He has undertaken voluntary positions with the Anglican Schools Commission, the Hale School Foundation, the Advisory Boards of Curtin University’s School of Business and its School of Accounting, and the WA Community Foundation. In the realm of homelessness, he has actively assisted the On My Feet initiative and the St Pat’s Starlight Hotel Choir, the latter being a continuing involvement after more than a decade.

Derek became a CA ANZ Fellow in 1993, received the then-ICAA Meritorious Service Award in 2011 and was awarded a Medal of the Order of Australia in the General Division in 2015 ‘for service to accountancy through a range of professional, academic, business and advisory roles’.

John Shewan CNZM FCA

Commencing his career in 1976 as a junior lecturer at Victoria University of Wellington, John Shewan joined Barr Burgess & Stewart, which became Coopers & Lybrand (now PwC), in 1978 as a founding member of the firm’s tax practice. He became a partner in 1983 and was Chairman from 2003 until his retirement in 2012.

A CA ANZ member since 1981, John was actively involved in the leadership of the National Tax Committee (now CA ANZ’s New Zealand Tax Advisory Group), advocating on behalf of members for sound tax policy during a period of unprecedented change to the New Zealand tax system. He became a CA ANZ Fellow in 1993.

Since leaving PwC, John has continued lecturing in tax policy at Victoria University of Wellington and has held a number of governance roles. These include as Chair of Munich Reinsurance Australasia, the Fonterra Shareholders’ Fund, Yealands Wines and China Construction Bank.

John’s Government-appointed roles include 10 years as Chair of the Tax Education Office, member of the 2010 Victoria University of Wellington Tax Working Group, Deputy Chair of the Partnership Schools Authorisation Board, and leading the 2016 Government inquiry into the Foreign Trust Disclosure Rules following the Panama Papers controversy.

John was appointed a Companion of the New Zealand Order of Merit for services to business in 2012. He is also a Hunter Fellow and recipient of the Distinguished Alumni Award from Victoria University of Wellington.

Janet (Jan) West AM FCA FAICD

Jan West was appointed the first female partner in the Australian arm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu in 1988. Her career at the firm spanned 36 years, including 23 years as partner in Audit, Internal Audit and as National Leader, Professional Services Review. In the 1990s she initiated the program that championed the advancement and retention of women at Deloitte and was a member of the then-ICAA Women in Chartered Accountancy Taskforce.

She is currently a non-executive Director of ImpediMed Ltd and a member of the Audit and Risk Committees of the International Federation of Red Cross and Red Crescent Societies, and Department of Treasury and Finance, Victoria. She previously served as a non-executive Director at Australia Post, Dairy Australia and Neurosciences Victoria Ltd, to name a few. Jan was also a member and Chair of the Nominations Committee of the Financial Reporting Council.

Jan was appointed a Member of the Order of Australia (AM) for service to the accountancy profession and the community in 2007 and awarded the Centenary Medal for service to the Australian society through accounting in 2001. She also received a Distinguished Service Award from Australian Red Cross in 2018.

Her involvement with the then-ICCA and CA ANZ spans across the Professional Conduct Oversight Committee, the Victorian Council, Victorian and National Education Committees, and as Chair of Professional Conduct Tribunals. In 2001 she was elected the first female President and Chair of the Board under a new governance structure. She has been a CA ANZ member since 1978, became a Fellow in 1994 and recipient of the Meritorious Service Award in 2002.