Bill Edge
Citation
William Rodney (Bill) Edge’s contribution to accounting is characterised by important contributions as an auditing standard setter, accounting and auditing regulator and extensive involvement in firm-based initiatives enhancing professional standards and developing risk and quality policies. Bill‘s role in auditing standard setting started in 2001 as a member of the Australian Auditing Standards Board and from 2004 he served as chair of the board, overseeing the adoption of many CLERP9 reforms introduced by government. He remained on the board until 2006. In 2014 his focus shifted to regulatory oversight over both accounting and auditing when he was appointed by the government to the Financial Reporting Council (FRC). In recognition of his leadership skills Bill was appointed chair in 2016 with a second three-year term agreed in 2019. In 2020 Bill established the FRC COVID-19 Working Group, comprising senior representatives from standard setting and regulatory bodies to continuously monitor financial reporting and auditing issues and consequent regulatory and standard setting implications of COVID-19 in a time of extreme uncertainty. Bill Edge has also provided extensive service to the profession, universities and academia as office holder for both Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ) and CPA Australia and membership of Advisory Boards at Melbourne, Deakin and La Trobe universities. Following a ten-year period in academia (1980-1989) Bill Edge developed a reputation as a strong advocate of the profession supporting academic research, acting on many occasions as a conduit between the profession and academia. Bill Edge’s contribution to accounting was underpinned by an extensive career as an assurance practitioner with PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC). He commenced with the then Coopers and Lybrand in 1974 following undergraduate studies in Commerce at the University of Melbourne. Over a span of 40 years Bill rose to be Senior Partner, leader of the firm’s Professional Standards Group from 1998 onwards and later Risk & Quality Group leader. Of particular note is Bill’s role in 2004 in initiating and leading the integration of Risk & Quality functions across all lines of service including assurance, tax, advisory (consulting) and insolvency to form a 'OneFirm' Risk & Quality Group for Australia. From a technical perspective Bill implemented a quality management model based on International Quality Control Standard 1 when setting up PwC’s new Risk & Quality Group. In recognition of this achievement Bill was awarded, in 2006, the Edwin Flack - Achieve Award from PwC, one of only four awarded biennially in Australia. He was also recognised externally by the Chartered Secretaries of Australia with the Governance Professional of the Year award in 2007. For four years before retiring as a Partner in 2014 Bill was PwC’s Asia Pacific Risk & Quality Leader. In 2007 Bill Edge was awarded a Meritorious Service Award from Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand in recognition of outstanding service to the accounting profession.