Caji DeSouza FCA awarded Highest Honour
for Exceptional Career and Service
As the highest honour bestowed by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ), Life Membership recognises the exceptional careers and service of senior members of the profession.
Life Membership is awarded very rarely, with a cap of only 40 members at any time. There are currently 29 Life Members.
Widely respected in the community and the profession, four members, including Caji DeSouza FCA, were elevated to Life Members in 2022.
Ignatius Cajetan (Caji) Desouza FCA: Based in Queensland, Australia, Caji Desouza joined the Metropolitan Permanent Building Society (MPBS) as Internal Auditor in 1974. He became a CA ANZ member that same year and a Fellow in 1979.
Caji was Company Secretary and then General Manager, Finance and Planning at the MPBS where he became deeply involved in its conversion into Metway Bank in 1988. He assisted in the merger of Metway Bank with Suncorp Group and the Queensland Industry Development Corporation in 1996, which formed the largest publicly listed company in Queensland, Suncorp Metway.
Throughout his career, Caji has been appointed President of a range of professional and industry groups, including the Queensland Chamber of Commerce and Industry, Building Societies Institute in Australia and New Zealand, Institute of Internal Auditors, Brisbane Chapter, and Mortgage Banks Association, Queensland Branch.
Caji has volunteered his expertise to assist his fellow members and the community through the Queensland Chartered Accountants Advisory Group (CAAG), the Finance and Investment Committee of St Vincent de Paul Queensland, the Micro Finance organisation of Opportunity International, and Lifeline. He was awarded the then-ICAA Meritorious Service Award in 2004.
Source: Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CA ANZ)
Caji DeSouza (class of 1958), brother of Mildred, Newton, Muriel and Myrtle turned 81 in September 2022. He still plays golf twice a week!
Caji has been on St Vincent de Paul Finance and Investment committee for some 17 years, with the key goals to ensure the needs in the general community in Queensland were met. As an Ambassador for Opportunity International for some 20 years he provided micro finance and health support for the very, very poor in India. Indonesia and Philippines. In 2022, after 40 years on various committees at Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand, he was awarded Life Membership.
Caji married to Elly for 54 years has three sons and six grandchildren with two of the sons in USA and one in Brisbane.
He keenly follows sports in particular Hockey, Tennis and Cricket.
PS.....exceptional Tennis player, too !
