Council

John Heaton became Global President in 2024 having previously been the President of the Chartered Governance Institute UK & Ireland from 2017 to 2020. He has been a member of the Institute since 1996 but started his career with Lloyds Bank moving into their share registration subsidiary and working closely with company secretaries and governance professionals. He still does consultancy work, but leading the Institute at such a pivotal time is the focus of much of what he now does.

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 and assurance management and procurement and supply chain functions.

Gill is qualified to practise as a solicitor in Hong Kong and England and Wales. She graduated with a Master of Arts degree in Geography from Hertford College, the University of Oxford and obtained her postgraduate qualifications in law from The College of Law in the United Kingdom. She is the chair of the Legal Committee of The Hong Kong General Chamber of Commerce, a member of the Listing Committee of The Stock Exchange of Hong Kong Limited and an independent director of Hong Kong, China Rugby. She is also a representative of the China/Hong Kong Division on the Council of the international Chartered Governance Institute, a former President of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute, and a Fellow of both of these institutes.

Dr Denis Mowbray is a globally recognised governance expert and strategic thought leader who transforms organisational performance through innovative behavioural governance approaches. As Managing Director of Gryphon Management Consultants since 1994, Denis has pioneered proprietary research-based methodologies that analyse the "Third-Team" dynamics between boards and executives across diverse sectors worldwide.

His consulting and review engagements have benefitted government bodies, listed entities, and major sports organisations across Australasia, Europe, and the Pacific.

A Fellow of both The Chartered Governance Institute and Governance NZ, Denis’s qualifications span a PhD on board effectiveness (AUT), and a Master’s degree (Claude Bernard University, Lyon, France). He has shaped thinking as a published author—contributing to leading international journals and management handbooks.

Denis has presented at prestigious international conferences across Europe and Asia, with peer-reviewed publications exploring the critical intersection of governance, strategy, and organisational culture. His insights challenge conventional governance thinking, emphasising that in the boardroom "compliance regulation is not the problem; behaviour and culture are."

Denis combines rigorous academic research with practical commercial experience, making him a sought-after advisor for organisations seeking to unlock the true potential of effective governance.

Specialities: Behavioural Governance | Strategic Leadership | Organisational Performance | Board Effectiveness

As Vice-President of HKMU, Professor Au is responsible for the planning and implementation of strategic initiatives to advance the University’s vision, mission and objectives. He oversees international and Mainland collaborations, supports HKMU’s ongoing development, and contributes to initiatives such as the establishment of Hong Kong’s first University of Applied Sciences and the University’s participation in global ranking exercises.
With more than 30 years of academic experience, Professor Au has published widely in internationally refereed journals on business ethics, international management, technology transfer and marketing. As Principal or Co-Principal Investigator, he secured over HK$20 million in competitive external and internal research grants.

Dedicated to knowledge exchange between academia and society, Professor Au frequently contributed articles to leading newspapers and business magazines on branding, consumer behaviour, management and marketing communications. He also undertook consultancy projects for a range of public and private organisations, including the Hong Kong and U.S. Governments, the Hong Kong Trade Development Council, District Boards, the Bureau of Foreign Trade and Cooperation of Guangzhou Municipality, A.S. Watson Asia Limited, and KONE Hong Kong.

At present, Professor Au continues to play an active role in professional and public service. He serves on the Advisory Group for Financial Education for Young Adults under the Investor and Financial Education Council, as well as the Research Ethics Committee of the Hong Kong Sanatorium Hospital Medical Group. He is also regularly invited by HKCAAVQ to act as Chair or expert panellist in the accreditation of academic programmes offered in Hong Kong and overseas.

Charlie is Immediate Past President of the CGIUKI Division. 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. As Group Company Secretary for Experian plc in Dublin, he covers corporate governance, statutory and listing rules compliance and reporting, board support, shareholder and share plan services, and sustainability.

Datuk Suseela Menon is a Past President of MAICSA, having served as President from October 2020 to June 2022. Currently, she serves as the Immediate Past President on the Council of the Corporate Secretaries International Association (CSIA), an international federation of corporate secretaries and governance professionals.

She has served and continues to serve on various committees of MAICSA. She was the Chairman of the Transformation & Re-branding Committee, where she led the re-branding exercise undertaken by the Institute. Presently, she holds the Chairmanship of the Editorial Board, the Thought Leadership Committee and the Appeals Tribunal Committee.

Suseela served as Executive Director of UMW Corporation (a prominent public-listed conglomerate in Malaysia), having risen to that position from the role of Group Secretary. It is noteworthy that she was the first female Executive Director in the Group. Her 30 years’ of working experience encompass company secretaryship, corporate communications, branding, corporate governance, investor relations, IT, property and administration.

She has had entrepreneurial experience in managing businesses, specifically in the medical and Esports industries. She continues to engage in consultancy work for companies that require her expertise.
Suseela served as the first-ever female President of the All-Malaysia Malayalee Association and as a Disciplinary Committee member of the Malaysian Bar Council for many years,
Datuk Suseela was conferred the Panglima Jasa Negara (PJN) in June 2014 by His Royal Highness, the King of Malaysia, which carries the title “Datuk”, in recognition of her corporate work and charitable activities.

Jill Parratt is an experienced business professional, with over three decades’ experience in Corporate Governance, Financial Management and Administration. She has 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. She is currently the group secretary of one of the largest insurance companies in South Africa, Liberty Holdings Limited, a position she has held for 17 years. She plays a pivotal role in facilitating the Board to achieve the Group’s vision and strategy, as well as compliance with relevant laws and regulations. She acts as a point of communication between the Board and Company’s shareholders and as a vital link between the Board and executive management. She has a key focus on reinforcing corporate fairness, promoting transparency, sustainability and discipline.

She was the President of the Global Institute from 2022 to 2024 having previously been the President of the Chartered Governance Institute of Southern Africa in 2009. Keeping in touch with students and championing the qualification is a passion of hers.

Victoria is Group Company Secretary for W.A.G payment solutions plc, a UK listed company based in the Czech Republic. Victoria has over 30 years’ experience in a wide range of sectors and is skilled in corporate governance, project delivery and board leadership in UK and internationally listed companies.

Victoria was appointed to Council in 2021 and was a board member of CGIUKI until July 2025. She has served on CGIUKI’s Audit &Risk Committee, Investment Committee, Education Committee, Nomination & Remuneration Committee and was President of the division between 2020 and 2023. she is a trustee of the Chartered Secretaries’ Charitable Trust.

Edith Shih is International President of The Chartered Governance Institute and Chairman of its Executive Committee from 1 July 2018 to 30 June 2020. She is a current China/Hong Kong division representative on CGI council.
Professionally, Shih is Executive Director and Company Secretary of CK Hutchison Holdings Limited, a Fortune 500 Company listed in Hong Kong operating in over 50 countries with over 350,000 employees. At CK Hutchison she oversees legal, regulatory, corporate finance and compliance matters of the Group with a team of about 350 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 a current member of its Nomination Committee. She is Vice Chairman of the Council and Chairman of the Human Resources Committee of the Hong Kong University of Science and Technology, Trustee of Teachers College, Columbia University and Vice Chairman of the Board of Governors of the English Schools Foundation in Hong Kong. In addition, she is Chairman of the Process Review Panel of The Accounting and Financial Reporting Council of Hong Kong, Member of the Executive Committee and the Council of Hong Kong Management Association, Member of the Hong Kong Europe Business Council and a Founding Member and Steering Committee Member of The Forum for World Education.

Paul Stafford FCG HKFCG is the former Corporation Secretary, Regional Company Secretary and Head of Corporate Governance, Asia-Pacific, Corporate Governance & Secretariat of The Hongkong and Shanghai Banking Corporation Limited (HSBC). He was responsible for leading a team of more than 80 governance professionals that support Boards and Directors throughout Asia-Pacific. He also had responsibilities for HSBC Holdings plc’s primary listing on the Stock Exchange of Hong Kong. Paul is a past Vice-President of The Hong Kong Chartered Governance Institute from 2016 to 2018 and from 2021 to 2023.

Pauline is a non-executive director and chair of a number of organisations. Pauline is also the President and Chair of Governance Institute of Australia and a member of the International Council of The Chartered Governance Institute.
Pauline is recognised as an expert in broad financial services, governance, risk management and public policy.
She has over 30 years’ experience in the Australian financial services industry, including as a senior regulator with ASIC, various directorships on listed and fiduciary entities, CEO positions and as an international adviser on pensions governance.