Professor appointed to head School of Accounting and Commercial Law
Chartered Accountant and academic, Professor Brenda Porter, begins today (16 June) as the new Head of Victoria
University's School of Accounting and Commercial Law.
Professor Porter returns to New Zealand from her most recent position as Reader in Accounting at the Warwick Business
School - one of the top three business schools in the UK.
Prior to that she was Director of Accounting Research at Cranfield School of Management, Cranfield University, one of
Western Europe’s largest academic centres for strategic and applied research.
Between 1991 and 1998, Professor Porter was Professor of Accounting at Massey University.
In announcing the appointment, Pro Vice-Chancellor Professor Pat Walsh, says Professor Porter will make a strong
contribution to the research programme of the School, particularly building on the work already under way in the Centre
for Accounting, Governance and Taxation Research.
“Professor Porter has wide-ranging teaching experience at all levels including MBA teaching and PhD supervision,” says
Professor Walsh.
“This will enable her to take a leadership role in the further development of the strong teaching programmes in the
School of Accounting and Commercial Law.
“Her appointment will also build on the School's close relationships with the accounting and commercial law
professions.”
Professor Walsh says her research interests focus on the role of auditing in securing responsible governance, a
particularly important issue in the wake of the USA Enron scandal.
Professor Porter is the author of several accounting-related books and numerous refereed articles. She replaces
Associate Professor Yvonne Van Roy, who has completed her term, as Head of School.