Ayla Majid makes history as ACCA's first Pakistani president

Ayla Majid has made history as the first Pakistani and South Asian to be appointed president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

Majid, a seasoned leader in the energy, sustainability, and governance sectors, will guide over 252,000 members and 526,000 future members across 180 countries during her year-long term.

The announcement marks a significant milestone for ACCA, which recently surpassed a quarter of a million members and is celebrating its 120th anniversary this year. Ayla Majid takes on the role with a vision to transform the future of accountancy through a strategic, forward-looking approach.

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Ayla Majid, who founded Planetive Middle East and Planetive Pakistan, has more than 20 years of experience in energy, transaction advisory, mergers and acquisitions, and corporate governance. She is a recognised international speaker on energy, decarbonisation, and climate tech, focusing on emerging markets.

She said in a statement, “The accountancy profession is dynamic and evolving, and we are working to make it an exciting, purposeful career choice, embracing sustainability and social value. I look forward to updating perceptions of the profession as technology becomes a dominant player.”

As part of her tenure, Ayla Majid aims to highlight a new future for accountancy, focused on sustainability, strategic planning, and stakeholder engagement. She also emphasised the importance of promoting the accounting profession as an attractive and purposeful career choice.

Ayla Majid’s leadership is also historic for another reason: she joins two other women in top positions at ACCA for the first time in its history. Deputy president Melanie Proffitt and vice-president Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan will serve alongside Majid, marking the first time all three officer posts are held by women.

Ayla Majid succeeds Ronnie Patton, a retired lecturer from Northern Ireland, who she praised for his inspirational leadership during his term as president.

In addition to her ACCA role, Ayla Majid is a member of the World Economic Forum's Global Future Council on Energy and is an Eisenhower Fellow. She holds an MBA from Lahore University of Management Sciences, an LLB (Hons) from the University of London, and has attended leadership courses at Harvard, Oxford, and Princeton Universities.