First North American elected as Vice President of ACCA

Gary Kent, Chief Administrative Officer of Peel Region, Ontario, Canada, joins ACCA officers in representing the organization’s members

TORONTO, Nov. 06, 2026 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) announces Gary Kent, a senior leader in Canadian regional government, has been elected Vice President of the global accountancy body, having served on its Council since 2022.

Kent is the first member from North America elected to an officer position by the ACCA Council, which represents more than 266,100 members across the globe in steering the organization.

“Gary Kent is not only an outstanding advocate for the accounting profession, but a public servant to his core, and the organization greatly benefits from his contributions, said Jillian Couse, Head of ACCA North America. “We’re very proud to have a member from North America serving in the leadership of ACCA’s global governing Council.”

Kent is the Chief Administrative Officer of Peel Region, Ontario, Canada, which proudly delivers essential services and infrastructure to 1.67 million residents and over 246,000 businesses in the communities of Brampton, Caledon, and Mississauga. As the most senior position within Peel Region, the CAO oversees all staff, service delivery, and infrastructure investments.

A graduate of Glasgow Caledonian University, Kent is also a Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA, CGA) and holds the ICD.D designation from the University of Toronto’s Rotman School of Management. He has over 30 years of experience in progressively senior municipal roles, including serving as CFO for both Peel and the City of Mississauga, and has completed the Bloomberg-Harvard Cities Leadership course which brings Mayors and senior staff from across the globe to learn together.

Kent was recently appointed Vice President for the Canadian Association of Municipal Administrators (CAMA).

“I’m honoured to be elected Vice President of ACCA and to bring a public-sector perspective to its global leadership,” said Gary Kent. “My Canadian experience, combined with my UK roots and international ACCA engagement, gives me a perspective that is both local and global. Throughout my career in local government, I’ve seen how sound financial stewardship supports the services people rely on and builds public trust. I look forward to working with my fellow Council members to continue to champion a profession that combines expertise with integrity and is committed to being a force for the public good.”

Kent will be working alongside the new ACCA president, Datuk Zaiton Mohd Hassan, CEO of the Malaysia Professional Accountancy Centre (MyPAC), and Cristina Gutu, a KPMG director from Romania.

ACCA Council members are a diverse group of 47 accountancy practitioners, academics, chief executives, chief risk officers, managing directors, and finance leaders, who come from various countries around the world. Their knowledge, experience, and cross-sector, global perspectives drive the organization’s strategy. Council members act on behalf of the global membership and are responsible for ensuring that ACCA’s development continues in line with the organization’s stated mission and values.

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About ACCA

We are ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants), the only truly global professional accountancy body. Since we were founded in 1904, we’ve been breaking down barriers to the accountancy profession. Today we proudly support a diverse community of over 266,100 members and 546,500 future members in 179 countries.

We’re redefining accountancy. Our cutting-edge qualifications, continuous learning and insights are respected and valued by employers in every sector. They equip individuals with the business and finance expertise and ethical judgment to lead and drive sustainable value in organisations and economies worldwide.

Guided by our purpose and values, we’re leading the accountancy profession for a changed world. Partnering with policymakers, standard setters, the donor community, educators and other accountancy bodies, we’re strengthening and building a profession that focuses on people, planet and prosperity to create value for all.

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ACCA is not affiliated with any Chartered Accountant (CA) organization or Chartered Professional Accountant (CPA) organization.