Stops joins CBA

Commonwealth Bank of Australia has appointed former Accenture executive and IT specialist, Wendy Stops, to its board in a move that illustrates the importance of IT experience to boards.

Melbourne-based Stops will replace Carolyn Kay FAICD, who will retire at the end of the month after 12 years as a director at CBA. Stops worked at Accenture for 32 years, most recently as senior managing director for technology in the Asia Pacific. She has worked at various stages of her career in Malaysia, Singapore and the US, and retired from Accenture in 2014.

Chairman of the CBA board David Turner FAICD said in a statement that Stops' "skills and experience will support the group's aspirations and strategic initiatives and, in particular, will provide the board with additional skills and insights in the key area of technology".

Stops holds a bachelor of applied science (information technology) and is a member of Chief Executive Women and Women on Boards.

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The Accounting Professional and Ethical Standards Board (APESB) has appointed Craig Farrow FAICD as a director.

Farrow is the chairman and partner of South Australian chartered accounting firm Brentnalls SA and is a past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA).

He played a pivotal role as executive chair of the merger project with the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants that formed the Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.

Farrow has a number of non-executive directorships in both ASX-listed and unlisted companies and not-for-profit organisations and is currently chairman of telecommunications company M2 Group, Australian Independent Rural Retailers, Tonkin Consulting Engineers and Scientists, AMPS Agribusiness, Doctor’s Health SA and General Practice SA.

He is also a director at software services provider Petrosys and Centre State Exports Group.