Ayla Majid makes history as ACCA's first Pakistani president

Ayla Majid has made history by becoming the first Pakistani president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).

As the CEO of Planetive, a Pakistan-based advisory firm specialising in decarbonisation, sustainability, and energy transition, Ayla brings a wealth of expertise to her new designation.

Talking about ACCA qualification, she holds an MBA degree from Lahore University of Management Sciences and an LLB (Hons) from the University of London. She has also attended leadership modules at Harvard, Oxford and Princeton Universities.

Ayla Majid will now lead more than 252,500 members and 526,000 future members of ACCA across 180 countries during her year-long term of office.

It's the first time in ACCA’s history that women have held all three officer posts simultaneously, as Ayla Majid made this achievement after joining the accountancy body in 2006. She currently has more than 20 years of experience in energy, transaction advisory, mergers and acquisitions, investments, and corporate governance.

Ayla Majid stated: “I would like to thank ACCA members for putting their trust in me. The themes I wish to highlight in the months to come can be summarised under the broad heading: “A new future for accountancy with a strategic lens and a stakeholder approach.”

“Being a finance professional has equipped me with the tools and connected me to people who are working towards the creation of a sustainable world,” she said.

She said that the accountancy profession is dynamic, forward-looking, and endlessly evolving. “We’re working to promote it as an exciting, purposeful and attractive career choice, embracing sustainability and social value. I look forward to speaking about how the role of the accountants is widening and working to update perceptions of the profession in the age where technology is a dominant player.”

Talking about her ACCA work, she is a member of the Global Future Council of Energy of the World Economic Forum (WEF) and is a Young Global Leader of the WEF. Moreover, she is also an Eisenhower Fellow.

"I don’t believe that old-fashioned attitudes survive for long when they come up against professionalism, a desire to succeed, and a dedication to getting the job done," Ayla said.

Ayla Majid, the newly elected president of ACCA, is joined by fellow officers Deputy President Melanie Proffitt from England and Vice-President Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan from Malaysia. Melanie Proffitt, CFO of Farncombe Estate, a hotel group in the Cotswolds, brings her financial expertise to the table.

Meanwhile, Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan, CEO of the Malaysia Professional Accountancy Centre (MyPAC), aims to encourage students from disadvantaged backgrounds to pursue careers in finance.