W. Robert Knechel, PhD is Distinguished Professor and the Frederick E. Fisher Eminent Scholar in Accounting at the University of Florida. He is the Director of the International Accounting and Auditing Center (IAAC). Robert holds an appointment at the University of Auckland as a Professor of Accounting Research. He is on the Board of the Foundation for Audit Research in the Netherlands and has served as a member of the Standards and Emerging Issues Advisory Group (SEIAG) of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB). He has recently completed a term as the Senior Editor for The Accounting Review, and previously served as Senior Editor of Auditing: A Journal of Practice & Theory. He has published extensively in the Journal of Accounting Research, The Accounting Review, Contemporary Accounting Research, Accounting Organizations and Society, and Auditing: A Journal of Practice and Theory.
Joan is an accounting graduate and Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (FCCA). After working in industry and obtaining her professional qualification, she moved into academia, holding positions at Warwick Business School (where she earned a PhD) and Queen’s University, Belfast. Since 2008, she has been Professor of Accounting at Ulster University, teaching a range of subjects including strategic management accounting at undergraduate and Masters levels. An active researcher, her work focuses on accounting education (including sustainability), entrepreneurship and gender equality, including gender budgeting and women in senior management. She has secured £600k in research funding as principal investigator and is currently co-investigator on the £4.8m EPIC Futures NI Local Policy Innovation Partnership (funded by UK Research and Innovation), supporting economically inactive individuals back into work. Widely published, she has examined numerous doctoral theses and serves on several journal editorial boards. Joan has also held multiple board roles and is an Independent Assessor for the Commissioner for Public Appointments, Northern Ireland. She has extensive experience supporting PhD candidates and has been actively involved for many years in organising the Irish Accounting and Finance Association Doctoral Colloquium (IAFA) and the annual British Accounting and Finance Association (BAFA) Doctoral Masterclasses. In 2023, she received the BAFA Outstanding Contribution to Accounting & Finance Education Award. In April 2024, she was appointed President of BAFA.
As the Group Executive, Education & Marketing at Chartered Accountants ANZ (CAANZ), Simon oversees a diverse portfolio including attracting people to the profession, the flagship CA Program, CPD and marketing. His leadership in education is characterized by a commitment to future-proofing members through continuous capability development and innovative learning pathways.
Beyond his executive role, Simon brings deep experience to the education sector through his board and advisory work. He is a Non-Executive Director at the Law Institute of Victoria and Chair of the Future of Learning Advisory Group at Melbourne Business School and has previously held the role of Deputy Chair of the global IFAC Education Panel, reflecting his long standing commitment to shaping the future of education
Beyond his executive role, Simon brings deep experience to the education sector through his board and advisory work. He is a Non-Executive Director at the Law Institute of Victoria and Chair of the Future of Learning Advisory Group at Melbourne Business School and has previously held the role of Deputy Chair of the global IFAC Education Panel, reflecting his long standing commitment to shaping the future of education
Dr Ash Jones joined CPA Australia in August 2024 and is responsible for the strategic redesign of the CPA Program, alongside leading the implementation of a new professional development strategy to support current and future members in building future-focused technical and interdisciplinary capabilities. She is a senior executive leader with more than two decades of experience driving large-scale education, skills, and workforce transformation across the education, technology, and professional services sectors.
Ash has held executive leadership roles spanning strategy, operations, and product, including Chief Operating Officer and Head of Product at DeakinCo, the commercial arm of Deakin University, and as the inaugural Head of Education and Workforce Development at the Australian Computer Society. Her career has been characterised by leading complex transformation agendas at the intersection of education, industry, and technology.
She has held significant national leadership and governance roles, including former Chair of the Accreditation, Education and Employability portfolio for the Australian Council of Professions, the peak professional association body representing more than one million professionals. Ash is currently a registered expert with the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) and has previously served on the Academic Board of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Ash is also a member of the National AI Centre Advisory Group, an initiative of the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources, contributing to national policy and capability development in artificial intelligence. She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Victoria University, a Master of Arts from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA.
Ash has held executive leadership roles spanning strategy, operations, and product, including Chief Operating Officer and Head of Product at DeakinCo, the commercial arm of Deakin University, and as the inaugural Head of Education and Workforce Development at the Australian Computer Society. Her career has been characterised by leading complex transformation agendas at the intersection of education, industry, and technology.
She has held significant national leadership and governance roles, including former Chair of the Accreditation, Education and Employability portfolio for the Australian Council of Professions, the peak professional association body representing more than one million professionals. Ash is currently a registered expert with the Tertiary Education Quality Standards Agency (TEQSA) and has previously served on the Academic Board of the Governance Institute of Australia.
Ash is also a member of the National AI Centre Advisory Group, an initiative of the Australian Government’s Department of Industry, Science and Resources, contributing to national policy and capability development in artificial intelligence. She is a Member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.
She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration from Victoria University, a Master of Arts from the University of Melbourne, and a Bachelor of Arts from UCLA.
Geraldine is a Chartered Accountant and finance professional with more than 25 years’ experience in finance and accounting. She began her career in audit at PwC and has worked in Australia and the UK across audit, corporate finance, financial reporting, and regulation.
She has held senior roles at PwC, Deloitte, a Time Warner subsidiary and ASIC.
At the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, she helped establish the Audit Regulation program, shaping oversight of audit quality in Australia.
At CA ANZ, Geraldine has led portfolios in international development, regional member engagement, education, and advocacy. Her broad experience gives Geraldine deep insight into the profession and member needs.
Geraldine now leads CA ANZ’s strategic approach to policy and international development, to deliver advocacy outcomes and strengthen CA ANZ’s impact on issues that matter to the accounting profession, our members and the public interest.
Her work helps shape policy, set standards, and deliver CA ANZ’s long-term strategy.
In addition, Geraldine leads CA ANZ’s international activities, ensuring our members are served through our international offices and reciprocal membership arrangements as well as representing CA ANZ and its members in local and international forums.
She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (CA ANZ), and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
She has held senior roles at PwC, Deloitte, a Time Warner subsidiary and ASIC.
At the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, she helped establish the Audit Regulation program, shaping oversight of audit quality in Australia.
At CA ANZ, Geraldine has led portfolios in international development, regional member engagement, education, and advocacy. Her broad experience gives Geraldine deep insight into the profession and member needs.
Geraldine now leads CA ANZ’s strategic approach to policy and international development, to deliver advocacy outcomes and strengthen CA ANZ’s impact on issues that matter to the accounting profession, our members and the public interest.
Her work helps shape policy, set standards, and deliver CA ANZ’s long-term strategy.
In addition, Geraldine leads CA ANZ’s international activities, ensuring our members are served through our international offices and reciprocal membership arrangements as well as representing CA ANZ and its members in local and international forums.
She is a Fellow Chartered Accountant (CA ANZ), and a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), the Association of Certified Chartered Accountants (ACCA) and Graduate of the Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD).
Naomi is the 2026 CA ANZ President, and will champion the vital community impact of Chartered Accountants, showcase the diverse career journeys the CA designation enables, and reinforce the core skills and ethics that position our members to lead in emerging fields.
She is an ex-officio member of the Tasmanian Regional Council and was previously a member of the CA ANZ Corporate Sector Advisory Committee, the CA ANZ Female Focus Champions and has been involved in the CA Program as a facilitator and exam marker and early in her career with Young CA committees.
Naomi is Academic Lead Industry Engagement and engagement lead of the Launceston Institute, at the University of Tasmania and non-executive director on Tasmanian government and other organisation boards, including chair of audit, risk and governance committees.
Naomi’s work at the university focuses on business engagement, employment skills and work integrated learning (WIL) governance. Previous experience includes senior finance and commercial management, mid-tier accounting firms and consulting in Western Australia and the UK.
In 2014, Naomi was awarded the Telstra Businesswomen’s Award, Tasmania Corporate sector for leadership in the construction industry.
She is an ex-officio member of the Tasmanian Regional Council and was previously a member of the CA ANZ Corporate Sector Advisory Committee, the CA ANZ Female Focus Champions and has been involved in the CA Program as a facilitator and exam marker and early in her career with Young CA committees.
Naomi is Academic Lead Industry Engagement and engagement lead of the Launceston Institute, at the University of Tasmania and non-executive director on Tasmanian government and other organisation boards, including chair of audit, risk and governance committees.
Naomi’s work at the university focuses on business engagement, employment skills and work integrated learning (WIL) governance. Previous experience includes senior finance and commercial management, mid-tier accounting firms and consulting in Western Australia and the UK.
In 2014, Naomi was awarded the Telstra Businesswomen’s Award, Tasmania Corporate sector for leadership in the construction industry.