Summary
The role of leadership is evolving — from managing performance today to shaping resilience for tomorrow. In this session, Dr. Mary Ann Harris, Group CFO, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBA) reflects on how financial leadership plays a foundational role in building future ready organisations and communities.
Drawing from her experience leading financial strategy in a highly regulated, capital-intensive utility environment, she shares how disciplined financial stewardship, long-term investment planning, and governance frameworks are critical in ensuring reliability, affordability, and sustainability in water services. Beyond her role in Air Penang, Dr. Mary Ann also brings cross-sector perspectives from her leadership in education and medical tourism initiatives in Penang, where she has contributed to shaping ecosystem development and talent attraction strategies.
These experiences reinforce the broader role of finance leaders in enabling sustainable growth across sectors that directly impact national competitiveness. The session highlights the importance of accountability, governance and values-based decision making in environments shaped by regulation, public expectations and competing priorities.
For further enquiries, please email to my@cpaaustralia.com.au
Learning Outcomes:
- Identify how financial stewardship and sustainability-driven decisions support long term organisational resilience.
- Recognise the importance of accountable leadership in navigating complex, multi stakeholder environments.
CPD Hour: 1 hour
Speaker
Take a look at our speaker scheduled for this event.
Dr. Mary Ann Harris FCPA (Aust.)
Group Chief Financial Officer, Perbadanan Bekalan Air Pulau Pinang (PBA)
Executive Director, StudyPenang and Penang Centre of Medical Tourism (PMED)
Dr. Mary Ann Harris is a seasoned finance professional with over 30 years of experience spanning public practice, hospitality, and utilities. A Malaysian, she holds a Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Malaya, an MBA from Universiti Utara Malaysia, and a DBA from Universiti Sains Malaysia. A Chartered Accountant C.A.(M), ASEAN CPA, and Fellow of CPA Australia, she is currently Group Chief Financial Officer of PBA Holdings Bhd, where her leadership has driven record profits, award‑winning financial performance, and landmark AAA‑rated sustainable sukuk issuances.
Moderator
Constance Luk CPA (Aust.)
Partnerships Manager, Waiser
Living a double life, by day, Constance Luk is a Partnerships Manager at Waiser, driving collaborations that expand access to education and youth opportunities across ASEAN. By night, she is the founder of People’s Health & Emotional Wellbeing (PHEW!), a registered youth-led mental health initiative focused on amplifying the voices of silent warriors through art therapy and community advocacy. Her work includes leading Penang’s first community-driven mental health mural, training student ambassadors in Pakistan with The Project Suicide, and serving as a Youth Advisory Board Member with the Office of the United Nations High Commissioner for Human Rights.
Venue / Location