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The professional accounting body has awarded three new life memberships, taking the esteemed group up to 33 members.
CA ANZ unveils additions to elite life membership group
19 March 2025
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8 minute read
CA ANZ has revealed three life memberships have been “bestowed” on Howard (Mike) Blake, Joanna Perry and Susan Rix to celebrate their professional achievements as members of the body.
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CA ANZ said life memberships were the highest honour that members could be offered and only a maximum of 40 members could hold a life membership at any particular time.
The body also announced it had conferred fellowship on 226 of its 140,000 members across Australia, New Zealand, the US, Hong Kong, Malaysia, Singapore, the UK, Fiji and Japan, all of which were peer-nominated for their contribution to the profession and their communities.
Ainslie van Onselen, chief executive of the accounting body, said Blake, Perry and Rix received multiple life membership nominations from their peers with “amazing” testimonials that recalled their achievements, commitment to the ethics and time they had given to others.
“The breadth of their experience and knowledge is tremendous. They have used their professional and leadership skills to make our institutions, businesses and countries better places and our entire membership recognises them for this,” she said.
“Among their achievements, Mike’s work as an auditor-general across a number of Australian states and territories, Joanna’s appointments across a range of New Zealand government appointments, and Susan’s exemplary career and unwavering philanthropy represent the best of the accounting profession.”
According to CA ANZ, Blake was awarded life membership based on his extensive career as an auditor-general across Australia and international experience.
Blake has also sat in multiple board positions, and currently chairs Tasmania’s electoral commission, the Board of Anglicare Tasmania and the Teachers Registration Board and is a board member and Treasurer of the Victorian Local Governance Association.
Perry first became a CA ANZ member in 1986 before advancing to fellowship in 2001. Perry began her career at KPMG and rose to partner from 1988 to 2006 and was noted to be an exemplary model for high-achieving women, aspiring directors and senior management.
CA ANZ said Rix first became a chartered accountant in 1991 after joining the industry as a graduate in 1982 and was awarded a fellowship in 2022. Rix has been a partner at BDO Brisbane since 1992 and was nominated Queensland philanthropist of the year in 2024.
Grant Ellis, president of CA ANZ, commended the new life members and fellows on their achievements.
“This is a milestone moment that lets them know CA ANZ and their peers see their hard work and dedication. For years, they have gone the extra mile, not just for their organisations and businesses, but for their communities, charities and the public good,” Ellis said.
“They are the beating heart of our membership and we’re very proud to recognise them, particularly as many keep a much lower profile than they deserve. Our life members are outstanding models for any young accountant, as well as our 226 new fellows.”
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