Pakistani Leader Makes History as ACCA’s First South Asian President

Ayla Majid has been appointed as the first Pakistani and South Asian president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), a first for the accounting profession. This historic appointment occurs as ACCA marks its 120th anniversary and has recently reached membership over 250,000 worldwide. As for the new CEO, Majid is the founder of Planetive Middle East and Planetive Pakistan and has more than twenty years of experience in energy, sustainability, and corporate governance.

Leadership trio makes history with the all-female executive team.

The appointment is another major achievement in the achievement of the organization because Majid together with Melanie Proffitt who is a deputy president and Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan who is a vice president make ACCA the first organization to have a leadership team of female professionals. This is a rather unique development and shows that the organization cares about diversity and inclusion right at the top. Majid replaced Ronnie Patton a retired lecturer from Northern Ireland who she said inspired her through his leadership.

With her deep energy and transaction advisory experience, Majid wants to change the future of the accounting profession. They include sustainability integration, technology, and ensuring peoples’ interest and accountancy as a preferred career for future generations. She stresses constant changes in the profession and its importance for facing world issues.

Organizational Vision of Sustainable Future and Personal Development

Before joining the University in this new position, Majid served as a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Energy and an Eisenhower Fellow. Her educational background is both impressive and relevant with an MBA from the Lahore University of Management Sciences and an LLB from the University of London as well as her experience in helping organisations navigate through change processes.

In her year stay at ACCA, Majid will manage the vast network of 252,000 members and 526,000 prospective members from 180 countries. Her agenda major on the changes in accountancy through strategic planning, stakeholder management, and sustainability. She also highlights technology as the key driver of the changes to the profession while still arguing that the main goal is the delivery of social value.