People & Governance

Corporate governance

ACER operates under a global governance framework to support transparency, accountability, and alignment with its mission to improve learning for all. The ACER Ltd Board oversees strategic direction, organisational performance, and risk management. It ensures that decisions are mission-aligned and informed by appropriate expertise. The ACER Ltd Board provides overarching oversight and is supported by 3 Board committees: Finance, Audit and Risk; Nominations; and Performance and Remuneration.

Internally, 3 governance committees – Finance and Investment, People and Culture, and Information Technology – bring together our senior leaders to guide organisational capability, investment, and technology priorities. This structure ensures that we have the right people in the room to consider the broader company and decisions are based on clear information and sound analysis.

Our international subsidiaries in the United Kingdom, India, and Malaysia have their own boards, and our United Arab Emirates operations are supported by an advisory board. This provides local accountability and ensures decisions are contextually informed and compliant with local laws. ACER also maintains clear delegations of authority, regular reporting cycles, and an integrated Key Enterprise Risk and Policy Framework that supports consistent decision-making and accountability at every level of the organisation.

Composition of the Board

The ACER Board comprises up to 11 Directors, including the CEO. Board membership reflects a balance of expertise in education, research, finance, governance, and technology. Appointments include:

• one representative from the committee of Australian Education Ministers
• one from the Commonwealth department responsible for education
• one staff-elected Director chosen through an anonymous preferential voting process
• remaining directors are selected based on skills, experience, and alignment with ACER's mission and values

Board nominations are reviewed by the Nominations Committee, with recommendations made to the board for endorsement. Formal appointments are confirmed at the Annual General Meeting.

Board succession

Directors (excluding the CEO) are appointed for up to 
3 years, with annual reappointment reviews. Extensions beyond 6 years require a two-thirds majority of members, and no Director may serve more than 12 years in total.

Subsidiary boards are structured to ensure consistent representation across Finance, People and Culture, and local non-executive directors

Board responsibilities

Strategic decisions are made through a highly consultative process. The Senior Executive Group (SEG) meets weekly, and the Global SEG bi-monthly, to ensure consistency across all of our operations.

ACER’s governance structures also ensure that commercial activities are always mission-driven. Major initiatives are reviewed through our Finance & Investment Committee and the Strategic Research Bid Board (SRBB) to ensure they deliver impact and align with our purpose of improving learning for all.

We’ve also invested in leadership engagement through our Pulse Group, which is an internal group of staff from across the business who helped identify ACER’s ‘big bets’ – the long-term areas where we can have the greatest impact. That combination of Board oversight, structured governance, and collaborative leadership ensures we stay focused on what matters most.

Risk management

Risk management is central to ACER’s operations and transparency is taken seriously. The Board has endorsed a set of Key Enterprise Risks, which cover strategic, financial, legal, cyber, reputational, and people-related risks. These are monitored via:

• an enterprise risk register
• internal and external audits
• regular reviews by Global SEG and governance committees.

The SRBB strengthens commercial risk controls by reviewing all new business opportunities before bids are submitted.

ACER has implemented many internal controls to safeguard data, intellectual property and financial integrity. We do this through:

• information classification and handling standards
• cybersecurity controls aligned with ISA 27001
• financial procedures compliant with Australian Accounting Standards
• internal audits and clear delegations of authority.

Ethical conduct is promoted through the LEARN values (Leadership, Excellence, Agility, Respect, No Borders), a Code of Conduct, Whistleblower Policy, Research Integrity and Ethics Framework, and Conflicts of Interest Policy. Staff have access to training and confidential reporting channels, with an independent whistleblower platform introduced.

Modern slavery

As a global education organisation operating across Australia, the United Kingdom, United Arab Emirates, India and Malaysia, ACER is committed to upholding human rights and ensuring that our operations and supply chains are free from modern slavery and other forms of exploitation. We adhere to modern slavery legislation in each jurisdiction in which we operate and apply group-wide policies, contractual safeguards, and ethical sourcing standards to prevent, identify, and address risks of modern slavery. This includes embedding modern-slavery clauses in supplier contracts, maintaining clear governance and reporting mechanisms, and continuously strengthening due diligence across the ACER Group.