Ayla Majid Becomes ACCA’s First Pakistani and South Asian President
Ayla Majid has achieved a historic milestone by becoming the first Pakistani and South Asian president of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
With over 20 years of expertise in energy, sustainability, and corporate governance, Majid will lead more than 252,000 members and 526,000 aspiring professionals across 180 countries during her one-year tenure. Her appointment coincides with ACCA’s celebration of its 120th anniversary and a record membership milestone.
As the founder of Planetive Middle East and Planetive Pakistan, Ayla Majid has established herself as an influential voice in energy, decarbonization, and climate technology, particularly in emerging markets. Speaking about her new role, she emphasized the importance of evolving the accounting profession to align with technology, sustainability, and social value.
“The accountancy profession is dynamic and evolving. We aim to make it an exciting and purposeful career choice by embracing sustainability and social value,” Majid said, outlining her vision to modernize perceptions of accountancy.
Her presidency is groundbreaking not just for her nationality but also for gender representation. For the first time in ACCA’s history, all three officer positions are held by women. Alongside Majid are Deputy President Melanie Proffitt and Vice President Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan.
In addition to her ACCA leadership, Majid is a member of the World Economic Forum’s Global Future Council on Energy and 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 programs at Harvard, Oxford, and Princeton.
Ayla Majid succeeds Ronnie Patton, whom she praised for his inspirational tenure, and begins her presidency with a forward-thinking strategy to redefine the future of accountancy.
