Grant Thornton has announced that Merilyn Gwan has been appointed to the Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (AUASB) by the Australian Financial Reporting Council.
Gwan is the partner and head of Grant Thornton’s assurance quality practice.
This marks the first time a representative from the company has joined the AUASB.
Gwan said: “As part of my current role in quality and assurance at Grant Thornton, I already provide regular feedback to the AUASB from a practical auditing perspective, so it is a natural progression to become an official member of the board.”
In her new role, Gwan will offer professional guidance and insights on the practical elements of Australian Auditing Standards as set by the AUASB.
Gwan added: “As the first person from Grant Thornton to be appointed to the AUASB it confirms our ongoing commitment to good governance and transparency within our audit services and across our firm.
“I will also leverage my expertise in quality and assurance to ensure the standards encourage best practice throughout the auditing industry as a whole and effectively measure audit quality outcomes.”
With more than 25 years of experience, Gwan has worked extensively in Australia, the UK, and France, focusing on assurance quality, regulatory interaction, and risk management.
Beyond her recent appointment, Gwan is actively involved in several other professional committees.
She is a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors Reporting Committee, the Australian Public Policy Committee Sustainability Group.
Additionally, she is a fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand.
Furthermore, Gwan is part of the Grant Thornton international audit quality group and the methodology and learning group, where she contributes to the firm’s global audit quality initiatives.
The appointment of the AUASB’s members falls under the section 236F of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission Act 2001.
