Management of The Chartered Governance Institute is vested in the Council. Our Council comprises of members elected by The Chartered Governance Institute members living in each local institute's territory (or by their local institute's committee); council membership being awarded on a proportionally representative basis depending on the number of members in the local institute. Up to two of the most recent past presidents, who are eligible and willing to be members of the Council, also serve in an ex-officio capacity.
Corporate Experience I am an experienced business professional, with over three decades’ experience in Corporate Governance, Financial Management and Administration. I have been the financial director of a property management company, the company secretary of a listed transport company and the company secretary of two listed property companies. I am currently the group secretary of one of the largest insurance companies in South Africa, Liberty Holdings Limited, a position I have held for 10 years. I play a pivotal role in facilitating the Board to achieve the Group’s vision and strategy, as well as compliance with relevant laws and regulations. I act as point of communication between the Board and Company’s shareholders and as a vital link between the Board and executive management. I have a key focus on reinforcing corporate fairness, promoting transparency, sustainability and discipline.
Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa (CSSA) I was elected onto the Southern African board in 2001. I served as Vice President in 2007, Senior Vice President in 2008, and finally President in 2009 which coincided with CSSA’s centenary. I have played a key, supportive role in the Division over the past 17 years. I was appointed as the Southern African representative to the International Council in 2012 and was elected onto the International Exco in 2016. In 2018 I was appointed Vice President. I chaired the Education and Examinations committee from 2012 to 2017 and monitored and guided the education and examination process in Southern Africa. I was very involved in the many submissions from Southern Africa on the drafting of the new qualification. I served as moderator of Corporate Secretaryship and Corporate Administration for five years. I have assisted students with pre-exam seminars on Corporate Secretaryship. I am also the chairman of Mentor which is a bursary fund for disadvantaged students from 2010 to the present. Keeping in touch with students and the qualification is a passion of mine.
John Heaton is President of the UK, Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories Division and serves on the Institute’s Council, having recently been elected Vice President.
John became involved with the ICSA in 1996 when he joined the ICSA Registrars Group, decided to qualify and graduated in 1999, becoming a Fellow in 2003. Currently a self-employed consultant in the share registration industry, John previously worked for Equiniti and the Lloyds Bank Group, carrying out a number of senior management roles in operations, compliance and risk, and client relations, and has been involved in a wide range of activities in the banking and securities industries across the UK all his working life.
Syed Abdul Hamid Aljunid began his career a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 1975 and in 1980 he obtained his Phd from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) USA. He has served different Universities in teaching and administrative capacities including the post of President from 2005 till 2007. He is currently a faculty member of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and his area is ethics and governance.
His active involvement in the profession started in 2007 when he served as Chairman of the Assessment Review Panel of MAICSA, member of Education committee MAICSA (till present) and as member of the Professional Standards Committee of Council (2007-2018). He was Vice President of MAICSA from 2016 till 2018 and was elected as President in 2018. He is currently the Chairman of MAICSA’s Thought Leadership Committee. He has also been a member of the technical, editorial, and disciplinary committees of MAICSA since 2016.
He is currently the External Assessor for the master of corporate governance programs of academic institutions involved in the collaborative program with MAICSA. Since 2017, he has been a regular speaker for The Companies Commission of Malaysia for their continuing professional programs in the area of integrity and governance.
Peter is an experienced non-executive director and chair of listed public companies with commercial, governance and senior executive experience across a range of sectors including technology commercialisation, mining, oil and gas and industrial manufacturing. Prior to taking on non-executive positions, Peter held senior company secretarial, legal, commercial and governance positions with major Australian listed public companies and has also worked in senior roles for regulatory authorities in Australia and Hong Kong, including as a Director of Corporate Finance with the Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Peter is a former President, Fellow and Life Member of the Governance Institute of Australia, former President of Corporate Secretaries International Association and is a current Vice-President of the Chartered Governance Institute and a member of its Executive Committee. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Former positions also include an Adjunct-Professor role at the University of Queensland, Australia and Peter has degrees in law and economics from the University of Melbourne.
Peter is an experienced non-executive director and chair of listed public companies with commercial, governance and senior executive experience across a range of sectors including technology commercialisation, mining, oil and gas and industrial manufacturing. Prior to taking on non-executive positions, Peter held senior company secretarial, legal, commercial and governance positions with major Australian listed public companies and has also worked in senior roles for regulatory authorities in Australia and Hong Kong, including as a Director of Corporate Finance with the Securities & Futures Commission of Hong Kong. Peter is a former President, Fellow and Life Member of the Governance Institute of Australia, former President of Corporate Secretaries International Association and is a current Vice-President of the Chartered Governance Institute and a member of its Executive Committee. He is also a Fellow of the Australian Institute of Company Directors. Former positions also include an Adjunct-Professor role at the University of Queensland, Australia and Peter has degrees in law and economics from the University of Melbourne.
Alan is an accomplished Non-Executive Director and Chairman with practical national and international experience as a senior executive in the fields of governance, secretarial practice and law, business/corporate development and operations, finance and management in listed companies and large public corporations covering the energy, resources, retail, film, airline and not-for-profit sectors.
Alan holds a Bachelor of Business Degree majoring in Corporate Administration - Secretarial Law and Practice, and Corporate and Commercial Law. He is also a graduate of the Harvard Business School’s Executive Education - Advanced Management Program.
Alan is a co-opted member of the Executive Committee of the Corporate Secretaries International Association and past Treasurer; is a Fellow Member of the Governance Institute of Australia and former Director and Chairman; and a Fellow Member of the Chartered Governance Institute – Australian Division and former National Counsellor and President.
He is a practicing Governance Professional specialising in:
Jean-W Jeannot is a Fellow of the Canadian Corporate Governance Institute. He holds a Master’s degree in Financial Banking from Dalhousie University (Halifax, Nova Scotia). He spent most of his career in the field of Investment advice. He is also a Fellow of the Canadian Bankers association, Fellow of the Canadian Securities Institute and Member of The Canadian Trust Institute.
He Began his career in the Trust Industry (Royal Trust & Central Guaranty Trust) where he held various position in Corporate Bond Trusteeship as well as Stock Transfer services. He continued his career in the Securities industry (BMO Nesbitt Burns) where he was Investment Advisor, Branch Manager, Associate Portfolio Manager, as well as Certified Financial Planner. He has acted in a number of managerial roles with BMO Nesbitt Burns.
He retired from the Investment industry in 2019 and currently serves on the board of CGI Canadian division as Vice-President. Also serves a treasurer for the Quebec Chapter of CGIC. He also pursues participation on other Not for Profit Boards, as well as an active role on the disciplinary committee of the Investment Industry Regulation of Canada (IIROC).
Edith Shih is the International President of The Chartered Governance Institute and Chairman of its Executive Committee from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2020. She is the China/Hong Kong division representative on CGI council and a current member of the Constitutional Agreements Committee and the first Chair of the Thought Leadership Committee from 2016-2018.
Professionally, Shih is Executive Director and Company Secretary of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, a Fortune 500 Company listed in Hong Kong at which she oversees legal, regulatory, corporate finance and compliance matters of the Group with a team of about 260 lawyers and 65 company secretaries.
Shih holds a Bachelor of Science in Education (Music) degree and a Master of Arts (Education) degree from the University of the Philippines; and a Master of Arts (TESOL) and a Master of Education (Allied Linguistics) degree from Columbia University, New York. She attended the University of Law in London and is qualified to practise law in England and Wales, Hong Kong and Victoria, Australia. She is in addition a Fellow of CGI and the Hong Kong Institute of Chartered Secretaries (HKICS) with both chartered secretary and chartered governance professional designations.
Shih is a Past President of HKICS - from 2011 to 2014, and the current Chairman of its Nomination Committee and the Institute Naming Group. She is a Member of the Council and the Human Resources Committee of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Trustee of Teachers College, Columbia University and Member of the Advisory Board of the MBA programme of the University of Hong Kong. In addition, she is a Member of Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications, a Member of the Professional Services Advancement Support Scheme Vetting Committee and the Process Review Panel of The Financial Reporting Council. She is also a Member of the Executive Council and the Council of Hong Kong Management Association, and a Founding Member and Steering Committee Member of The Forum for World Education.
Gill Meller FCG HKFCG (PE) is MTR Corporation Limited’s Legal & Governance Director. She is responsible for leading the Company’s environmental, social and governance initiatives and for overseeing the Company’s legal, company secretarial, insurance, risk management and sustainability functions and a central procurement and supply chain function. She is also responsible for leading the Company’s assurance function with the aim of providing a strengthened second line of defence across key risk areas of the Company. She graduated from Hertford College, University of Oxford and obtained her postgraduate qualifications in law from The College of Law in the United Kingdom. She is a vice chairman of the Legal Committee of The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Standing Committee on Company Law Reform and immediate Past President and ex-officio council member of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute
Syed Abdul Hamid Aljunid began his career a lecturer at Universiti Putra Malaysia (UPM) in 1975 and in 1980 he obtained his Phd from the University of Wisconsin (Madison) USA. He has served different Universities in teaching and administrative capacities including the post of President from 2005 till 2007. He is currently a faculty member of the International Centre for Education in Islamic Finance (INCEIF) and his area is ethics and governance.
His active involvement in the profession started in 2007 when he served as Chairman of the Assessment Review Panel of MAICSA, member of Education committee MAICSA (till present) and as member of the Professional Standards Committee of Council (2007-2018). He was Vice President of MAICSA from 2016 till 2018 and was elected as President in 2018. He is currently the Chairman of MAICSA’s Thought Leadership Committee. He has also been a member of the technical, editorial, and disciplinary committees of MAICSA since 2016.
He is currently the External Assessor for the master of corporate governance programs of academic institutions involved in the collaborative program with MAICSA. Since 2017, he has been a regular speaker for The Companies Commission of Malaysia for their continuing professional programs in the area of integrity and governance.
Denis advises the "Third Teams" (Boards and Executives) of organisations and undertakes research in 'Behavioural Governance: its influence and impact on organisational performance,' through the eyes of organisational psychology and cognitive science.
A creative and strategic thinker, who has broad general management experience combined with commercial exposure across several industries with accountability for building strategic relationships and achieving growth. Is committed to innovation and is driven by ideas and the possibilities that new strategic directions offer. Has an open leadership style, approachable and operates with logic, a good sense of humour, and always with integrity. Has a commitment to continued self-development and skills enhancement in all areas of his life.
Nathaniel is the Director of RHT Capital Pte Ltd. He has a varied and diversified experience which ranges from being an in-house company secretary, audit, financial accounting and working for an out-sourced company secretarial service provider as well as continuing sponsor for companies listed on the Catalist Board of the Singapore Stock Exchange. He has over 30 years of experience in the corporate secretarial industry.
In his years of experience, he has done feasibility studies, due diligence exercises involving fraud investigation in audit, financial analysis, viability of a business, liquidation and advising clients as an out-sourced secretarial service provider. Nathaniel has about 20 years of experience handling listed companies and he has been and is a company secretary of several listed and private companies. He has also been involved in making representations on behalf of clients to the Regulatory Authority with regards to compliance matters.
Nathaniel is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators (ICSA) and Chartered Secretaries Institute of Singapore (CSIS) and an Associate member of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). He the Vice-Chairman of CSIS from March 2016 to March 2018 and Chairman from March 2018 to March 2019.
As Chairman, he has represented the views of practicing company secretaries, both in-house and out-sourced firms, including liaising with the Accounting & Corporate Regulatory Authority of Singapore (ACRA) and with the Singapore Exchange Limited (SGX) on new changes and other matters. He has been a speaker and panellist moderator for the CSIS Seminars held on the propose changes to the Companies Act, Code of Corporate Governance and the Listing Rules as well as certain in-house seminars held by the RHT Group of companies for their clients.
Corporate Experience I am an experienced business professional, with over three decades’ experience in Corporate Governance, Financial Management and Administration. I have been the financial director of a property management company, the company secretary of a listed transport company and the company secretary of two listed property companies. I am currently the group secretary of one of the largest insurance companies in South Africa, Liberty Holdings Limited, a position I have held for 10 years. I play a pivotal role in facilitating the Board to achieve the Group’s vision and strategy, as well as compliance with relevant laws and regulations. I act as point of communication between the Board and Company’s shareholders and as a vital link between the Board and executive management. I have a key focus on reinforcing corporate fairness, promoting transparency, sustainability and discipline.
Chartered Secretaries Southern Africa (CSSA) I was elected onto the Southern African board in 2001. I served as Vice President in 2007, Senior Vice President in 2008, and finally President in 2009 which coincided with CSSA’s centenary. I have played a key, supportive role in the Division over the past 17 years. I was appointed as the Southern African representative to the International Council in 2012 and was elected onto the International Exco in 2016. In 2018 I was appointed Vice President. I chaired the Education and Examinations committee from 2012 to 2017 and monitored and guided the education and examination process in Southern Africa. I was very involved in the many submissions from Southern Africa on the drafting of the new qualification. I served as moderator of Corporate Secretaryship and Corporate Administration for five years. I have assisted students with pre-exam seminars on Corporate Secretaryship. I am also the chairman of Mentor which is a bursary fund for disadvantaged students from 2010 to the present. Keeping in touch with students and the qualification is a passion of mine.
John Heaton is President of the UK, Republic of Ireland and Associated Territories Division and serves on the Institute’s Council, having recently been elected Vice President.
John became involved with the ICSA in 1996 when he joined the ICSA Registrars Group, decided to qualify and graduated in 1999, becoming a Fellow in 2003. Currently a self-employed consultant in the share registration industry, John previously worked for Equiniti and the Lloyds Bank Group, carrying out a number of senior management roles in operations, compliance and risk, and client relations, and has been involved in a wide range of activities in the banking and securities industries across the UK all his working life.
Charles is Vice-President of CGIUKI and is also a Vice-President of the Irish Regional Council. He is also a member of the CGIUKI's Company Secretaries Forum and the Association for the General Counsel and Company Secretaries of FTSE 100 companies. Company Secretary for Experian plc in Dublin, he covers corporate governance, statutory and listing rules compliance and reporting, board support, shareholder services and corporate responsibility.
Prof. Alan Au is Dean of Lee Shau Kee School of Business and Administration as well as Director of Institute of International Business and Governance at Hong Kong Metropolitan University (HKMU). Prior to becoming the Dean of the School in 2015, he had headed the Marketing, Management and Decision Science department and had eventually assumed associate deanship in 2010. Before joining HKMU, he had served in various academic positions in both Hong Kong and New Zealand.
Currently serving on the Council, Court and Senate of HKMU, Prof. Au is also a member of the Council for the China/Hong Kong division and Chairman of the Professional Standards Committee of The Chartered Governance Institute (CGI). He is regularly invited by the Hong Kong Council for Accreditation of Academic and Vocational Qualifications (HKCAAVQ) to serve as an expert member in panels for the accreditation of both local and overseas degree programmes offered in Hong Kong. He is also appointed by the HKCAAVQ as a Specialist in disciplines relating to business and governance. He has been appointed as External Examiner for DBA, PhD and MPhil thesis for local and overseas universities, and was a Visiting Professor of Université Paris II Panthéon – Assas between 2015 and 2018.
With a wide range of publications in internationally refereed journals, covering areas such as business ethics, international management, technology transfer and marketing, Prof. Au was a Regional Editor and Guest Editor for Cross Cultural Management Journal and has undertaken associate editorships with two international journals. He has also published more than 200 articles in topics relating to branding, consumer behaviour, management and marketing communications (in Chinese) in major Hong Kong newspapers and business magazines. Over the years, Prof. Au, as Principal/Co-Principal Investigator, has received over HK$20 million in external competitive/internal grants.
Prof. Au initiated the production of a number of TV programmes on Corporate Governance, Management and Marketing for the University’s “Knowledge for All” programme broadcasted on two major public broadcasting Channels in Hong Kong.
Tim Sheehy is the Director General of The Chartered Governance Institute, formerly known as The Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators. The Chartered Governance Institute is the premier global qualifying organisation for professionals aspiring to become a Chartered Secretary and or a Chartered Governance Professional.
Tim is also an Adjunct Professor at Western Sydney University in the School of Law.
Prior to this role Tim had a 15-year career as the Chief Executive of the Australian Division of The Chartered Governance Institute, known as Governance Institute of Australia.
Before joining Governance Institute, Tim held distinguished roles in management consulting with McKinsey & Co. and Anderson Consulting, in investment banking with Westpac and Swiss Bank Corporation and as a member of the academic staff at the University of New England, Armidale, NSW.
Tim holds a Bachelors and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Loyola University of Los Angeles and a Graduate Diploma of Financial Management from the University of New England, Armidale.