Merran Kelsall AO appointed Chair of the IFRS Advisory Council

The IFRS Foundation Trustees have appointed Merran Kelsall AO as Chair of the IFRS Advisory Council, effective immediately. She succeeds Bill Coen, who has stepped down after serving as Chair for five years.

The Advisory Council comprises approximately 50 members from a range of organisations with an interest in international financial reporting; it provides strategic advice to the IFRS Foundation Trustees, the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

Ms Kelsall is an independent non-executive director with more than 25 years of board-level experience in the public and private sectors and considerable expertise in corporate governance, finance, audit, risk and compliance. She currently serves on the Nominating Committee of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).

Previously, Ms Kelsall was President and Chair of CPA Australia, member of the Accounting for Sustainability (A4S) Advisory Council, Chair and CEO of the Australian Auditing and Assurance Standards Board and member of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB).

She has been appointed as an Officer of the Order of Australia (AO), recognised as a Life Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors and inducted into the Australian Accounting Hall of Fame. She has an MBA from Melbourne University.

Ms Kelsall’s appointment is for a three-year term.

Erkki Liikanen, Chair of the IFRS Foundation Trustees, said:

I am pleased to welcome Merran as Chair of the Advisory Council; she will bring valuable skills and experience to the group. I would also like to thank Bill Coen for his contributions and dedication as Chair over the past five years, leading the Advisory Council in providing valuable strategic advice through a transformative time at the Foundation.

Ms Kelsall said:

I am delighted to take on the role as Chair of the Advisory Council and look forward to working with the other members in supporting the IFRS Foundation’s mission to bring transparency, accountability and efficiency to the capital markets around the world.