The chairman of the CPA only since last October, Tyrone Carlin, who is also the University of Sydney's deputy vice-chancellor, will tell CPA members on Thursday that he stepping down from the CPA board whose directors received $1.87 million in fees last year.

Mr Carlin, who last month twice refused to disclose the salary of key executives at the CPA annual general meeting in Singapore, earned $184,166 as chairman last year and a further $70,000 as chairman of CPA's new financial advice arm which remains unproven.

"With new directors coming on board and in the spirit of renewal I am taking the opportunity to step down from the board a few months earlier than anticipated," Mr Carlin said in a statement. Mr Carlin is handing over to his deputy, Jim Dickson, who received $133,630 from CPA in fees last year.

CPA board members used to work for free, or for a stipend paid straight to their employer before the constitution was changed by a series of special resolutions so that members no longer directly elected the board, and directors' terms could be extended beyond a six-year maximum.

Mr Malley's pay is significantly higher than the Tax Institute CEO Noel Rowland's $432,456 salary or the Chartered Accountants ANZ's CEO Lee White's $600,000 2017 base salary. CPA's company secretary, Adam Awty, also receives close to $950,000 and chief operating officer Jeff Hughes more than $900,000, according to the disclosures.

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32-page pitch to CPA members

However, in a 32-page note to members, CPA will argue it is in a much stronger financial and membership position than comparable organisations.


"The reality is that in size, scope, complexity and reach, no other professional bodies domestically come close to CPA Australia," Mr Carlin said.

The CEO at the centre of the firestorm, Mr Malley said while members would have different views these pay disclosures would "raise the bar in terms of transparency".

"With more than 160,000 independently-minded members in 118 countries we're realistic enough to know that people will have differing perspectives," Mr Malley said.

The memorandum to members, which includes a remuneration report audited by Deloitte, also addresses frequently asked questions, including that "royalties from sales of "The Naked CEO" book go back to the business .. the chief executive has not and will not receive any payment for having written the book".

Groundswell for review

However, members, led by accountant Brett Stevenson, remain alarmed the CPA has spent more than $60 million on marketing over the past two years, largely focused on promoting Mr Malley, including his "In conversation" program on the Nine Network. They also warn that the board is benefiting from CPA's largesse and are concerned the foray into financial advice is misguided.

CPA's sponsorship has included the Australian Tennis Open and the National Basketball League, where one of the CPA's directors, Graeme Wade, is the chairman of the NBL board. Mr Stevenson and other CPA members are calling for a full independent governance review.


The Prime Minister put the focus on a "cult of excessive CEO remuneration" earlier this year when Australia Post CEO Ahmed Fahour stood down surrounding the controversy over his $5.6 million salary.

CPA Australia president and chairman Tyrone Carlin at the association's annual meeting in Singapore, is standing down.

This week, Wesfarmers chairman Michael Chaney sent a strong signal to all his compatriots running Australian boards that over-the-top pay packets are no longer acceptable, after delivering a 28 per cent cut to the total remuneration package of new Wesfarmers CEO Rob Scott to $10 million compared to his predecessor Richard Goyder's $14 million package.

Sacked: CPA Alex Malley. Josh Robenstone