Council

Our people

The composition of the Council is governed by the Professional Accountants Ordinance. The Council consists of 14 elected, two ex-officio, four appointed and a maximum of two co-opted members. The 14 elected Council members are made up of six certified public accountants who are in full time practice as certified public accountants (practising) (denoted by the letter “P” below); six certified public accountants who are not in full time practice as certified public accountants (practising), who may or may not hold a practising certificate (denoted by the letter “N” below); as well as two certified public accountants of whom either one or both can be of category P or category N as mentioned above. All members are non-executive and non-compensated.  

Elected Council members serve for two-year terms beginning after the biennial elections held during every other annual general meeting (AGM) from December 2023 onwards. The ex-officio members serve while holding their official capacity. Government-appointed lay members serve for two-year terms from the appointment date. Co-opted members serve from after the Council meeting when they are appointed, usually early in the membership year, until the next AGM. 

The election and co-option of Council members are governed by the Professional Accountants Ordinance.  Please refer to the Institute’s Council election arrangements.

The provision under the Professional Accountants Ordinance regarding co-option of Council is exercised when it is considered an absolute necessity to address underrepresentation of certain major segments of membership, with a view to balance the composition of Council.  Council may co-opt members with particular skills and expertise that could help Council discharge its duties as the governing body of the Institute. 

After the conclusion of the election of Council members, Council will review its composition to identify any gaps for the purpose of sourcing suitable candidate(s) for co-option.  To be considered as a suitable candidate for co-option, the potential candidate must have served on at least one of the Institute’s board/ committees/ panels/ working groups with proven track record of active participation and contribution to demonstrate his/ her specialities. 

Roles and responsibilities

The Council serves as the governing body of the Institute, makes decisions on the overall strategy, policy and direction, as well as handling matters stipulated in the Professional Accountants Ordinance. It provides guidance on the Institute’s governance and operations with the assistance of oversight boards and relevant committees. The Council conducts its business through regular meetings. Abridged minutes of these meetings are available for members to read on the members' area.

2023/24 Council members