Melanie Proffitt, CFO of Farncombe Estate, three award-winning hotels on a 400-acre estate near Broadway in the Cotswolds, will lead over 257,000 members and 530,000 future members across 180 countries in her year of office. She is stepping back from that role to focus full time on ACCA president work.

ACCA’s global council was announced at the same time as the officers’ appointment. Two council members are Scottish based, with Elaine Boyd, honorary professor of the Glasgow Caledonian University School for Business and Society and Liz Blackburn, corporate director at Sabhal Mòr Ostaig, the National Centre for Gaelic Language and Culture continuing to serve on ACCA’s council.

Having first joined the ACCA Council in 2015, Ms Proffitt has a wealth of experience that she will utilise in her leadership role. Her tenure as vice president and deputy president has seen her work with ACCA members all over the world, including India, Africa, and across Europe. 

Ms Proffitt is particularly passionate about the way accountancy offers flexible and accessible careers. Often referred to as a ‘career passport’, ACCA promotes accountancy as a way of working in many different industries across the world, demonstrating its commitment to diversity, equality, and inclusion.

Building on the inclusivity of accountancy, Ms Proffitt has worked with communities in Africa and in India, where women are seizing the chances opened up by ACCA to achieve financial and personal independence, to break free from traditional roles and to emerge as professionals and as leaders.

Ms Proffitt, president of ACCA, said: “Accountancy has not just been my career. It has given me so many incredible opportunities along the way, and I’m excited to be able to give back in a new way now, with my role as ACCA President.

“I am particularly proud to serve as a female leader of a global body. Being able to stand up and inspire other young women to aim high and not be afraid of achieving success is deeply important to me.   

“ACCA is redefining what accountancy looks like in the 21st century. From our newly redesigned qualification, to working with underrepresented communities and individuals, we are committed to showing how accountancy is a career that is fulfilling, dynamic and full of exciting opportunities.”

Ms Proffitt is joined in the leadership of ACCA’s global governing Council by fellow officers – deputy president Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan from Malaysia, chief executive officer of the Malaysia Professional Accountancy Centre (MyPAC), which aims to help students from poorer backgrounds find careers in finance, and vice-president Cristina Gutu, a director with KPMG Romania & Moldova, where she leads the learning and development agenda.

This is the second year in a row that women have held all three ACCA officer posts at the same time. Ms Proffitt takes over the presidential role from Ayla Majid, an international speaker on energy, decarbonisation, hydrogen and climate tech with emerging markets. Ms Proffitt paid tribute to the way Ms Majid has shown that with accountancy and with ACCA, there is no ceiling on achievement.