ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) elected Gillian Ball as president at its agm today.

ACCA is the world’s largest and fastest-growing international accountancy body; with 115,000 members and 296,000 students in more than 170 countries.

Gillian Ball, finance director of the University of Birmingham, is only the third woman president in ACCA’s 103-year history. She currently chairs the ACCA governance committee and is a member of the finance committee.

Ball said of her appointment: 'The president is elected by the members, which makes the role very special indeed – and it is a great responsibility to represent them by engaging with policymakers, government officials and a wide range of other stakeholders around the world. I have learned much over the past two years as vice president, then deputy president which I shall use to ensure that I do my very best for ACCA in my presidential year.'

She added: 'I am particularly keen that the organisation promotes responsibility in accounting through adherence to the highest professional standards. For us, this year means the advent of our new qualification, ACCA 2007, with a specific module in ethics. We look forward to the new qualification being the benchmark for professionalism amongst accountants.'

At the same AGM, Richard Aitken-Davies, chairman of ACCA’s financial reporting committee, was elected deputy president, while Brendan Murtagh, a partner in Dublin accounting firm LHM Casey McGrath, became vice-president.

Fourteen positions on Council were filled in the elections, eight of which were returning Council members, with six new members.