The body is to abolish a long-standing council rule that at least 12 of the 36 council members be UK auditors.

ACCA members will be asked to vote on the change, as well as formally limiting membership of council to nine years, or 12 years which will be an extension in particular circumstances.

The decision to open up membership comes on the back of an overseas council meeting held in Kuala Lampur, Malaysia.

‘We calculated at the time that we managed to engage just over 2,000 members in the space of three days,’ said Gill Ball, who will become the president in May.

‘It’s about hearing what the members want and imploring them to get more engaged,’ said Ball.

She denied suggestions that the largely international members want more of a say in the UK-based organisation. ‘Everyone was quite happy with the way in which council did things,’ she said.

An ACCA team, which will include Ball, is to go on a roadshow in Malaysia and Singapore campaigning on the new open-council membership concept at the same time as ballot and AGM papers are sent out ahead of ACCA’s upcoming elections.

Ball said she did not rule out future international council meetings for the organisation, in line with its more global approach.