|
|||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
 |
|
 |
|||
 |
|||||
MERRAN KELSALL AO
B. Com. (Hons.), FCPA, FCA, MBA, FAICDLife, FFin.,
Career Summary
Merran is an experienced, independent non-executive director and chair with expertise in finance, audit, risk, and compliance. She has a strong focus on corporate governance including financial and non-financial external reporting to include strategy and risk management, sustainability and aligning performance management with strategy. Merran has worked with numerous types of organisations, including member based and those delivering public interest outcomes.
Merran led CPA Australia as President and Chair between 2020-2023. Prior to this she worked closely as Deputy with the immediate past President and Board in turnaround of governance, brand and reputation, including new CEO appointment, significant member consultation and strategy development. In her term as President, Board focus moved to monitoring and measuring delivery of digital transformation strategy and risk management, overseeing major reinvestment to optimise member value and benefits and to effect cultural change and capability uplift. She chaired a significant ongoing Board driven member engagement program and focus on staff and member health, safety and well being including mental health.
Merran is the former Chairman and CEO of the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) and Member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB). These organisations develop auditing standards in the public interest to assist maintaining confidence in capital markets and the integrity of financial and external reporting, whilst balancing potentially differing stakeholder views. In these roles, she led numerous round tables and individual meetings on many topics both in Australia and internationally to gain stakeholder input on both domestic and international policy matters and technical issues. At IAASB Merran chaired the Integrated Reporting Working Group (IRWG) that issued consultation papers internationally on credibility and trust, including assurance.
She was also a Member of the IAASB Innovation Working Group charged with identifying emerging international issues requiring board attention that resulted in the formation of the IRWG and the Data Analytics Working Group.
Merran gained experience in resolving customer complaints and alternative dispute resolution as the inaugural Chairman of the Public Transport Ombudsman and as a Commissioner at the Taxi Services Commission in Victoria.
She has undertaken significant complex engagement including industry, customer, community and government liaison with members/stakeholders influencing policy and strategy in a number of large mutual organisations, including CPA Australia, Cuscal, Superpartners, Taxi Services Commission, RACV and the Public Transport Ombudsman.
Merran has a strong interest in innovative technology and business models and potential impacts of artificial intelligence, digitisation and transformation on existing business. A fact finding visit to Silicon Valley in 2016 developed her understanding of the critical role of digitisation strategy
delivering customer and member benefits.
She previously spent over 20 years in public practice. Her industry experience includes financial and professional services; insurance; superannuation; health; education; contract management, utilities and major infrastructure projects, including the water industry. Merran is an experienced executive coach and has worked in various listed companies.
Current Board Appointments
Chair, Dementia Australia since 2023
Australian Red Cross Lifeblood, Director since February 2020
CareSuper, Director since April 2020
Medical Indemnity Protection Society (MIPS), Director since July 2020
TarraWarra Museum of Art Ltd, Honorary Director since 2016
International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), Member Nominating Committee since 2022
Qualifications and Awards
AO, Order of Australia for distinguished service to the financial accounting sector, to professional organisations, and to the community, January 2023
Induction, Australian Accounting Hall of Fame, March 2024
Life Fellow, Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD), March 2024
Ajunct Professor of Practice at the School of Accounting, Auditing and Taxation, UNSW Business School 2021, formerly Professor of Practice 2018-2021.
Fellow, CPA Australia 2011
Meritorious Service Award, Institute of Chartered Accountants, 2007
Australian Institute of Company Directors – FAICD, Residential Program 2004
Melbourne University M.B.A., 2000
Member Institute of Chartered Accountants 1979, Fellow 1991
Melbourne University B Com. (Hons.) 1975
Employment History
2004–2017 Chairman and CEO, Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) for Australia
2011–2016 Member, New York based International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB)
1997 Independent Company Director
1989–1996 Partner in Charge: Business Services Division of BDO Melbourne
1987 Appointed Partner, BDO
1976–1987 Various positions with BDO (formerly Parkhill Lithgow & Gibson)