Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) has reappointed Ainslie van Onselen as chair for another two-year term after a unanimous decision from the board.
Van Onselen, who is also the CEO of Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), first became chair in November 2023.
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She was the first woman and the first representative from CA ANZ to hold this position.
Her responsibilities as chair cover overseeing how chartered accountants contribute internationally, with focus areas including sustainability, technology including AI, and attracting new talent to the sector.
CAW comprises members from 15 accountancy bodies, providing an international forum for sharing knowledge and practice among accountants worldwide.
The global organisation represents more than 1.8 million accountants and students in more than 190 countries.
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By GlobalDataOnselen has been CEO at CA ANZ since May 2020.
Her background includes over 20 years of experience as a corporate law partner, non-executive director and senior executive at Australian bank Westpac.
She has experience leading governance and organisational change within accounting, focusing on digital updates and data systems for CA ANZ’s 140,000 members.
Her time at CA ANZ has included work on reinforcing professional standards through a revised conduct framework and a fourteen-point programme called Going Further aimed at improving trust within the profession.
Beyond her role at CA ANZ, van Onselen is Commissioner of Legal Aid New South Wales and a non-executive director at both Global Accounting Alliance and Automic Group.
Onselen said: “I am delighted to be reappointed as Chair of Chartered Accountants Worldwide. It has been a privilege to work alongside our 15 member institutes, and I am incredibly proud of what we have achieved collectively over the past two years.
“Together, we have strengthened our global voice, advanced the profession’s leadership in sustainability and highlighted the role of Chartered Accountants as trusted leaders in an increasingly complex world.”
