Dr Ann Sardesai holds a PhD in Accounting from Queensland University of Technology, conferred in 2014 and recognised with the Outstanding Doctoral Thesis Award for its scholarly contribution. She has more than 15 years of academic experience across diverse institutional settings, including Macquarie University (2008–2011), CQUniversity Sydney (2015–2023), Prince Sultan University in Saudi Arabia (2023–2024).

Across her career, Ann has demonstrated strong academic leadership spanning strategic planning, curriculum development and resource management. She has held several governance roles, including Learning and Teaching Coordinator (2020–2022), elected Academic Board Member (2018–2020), and elected member of the Research Committee Board at CQUniversity. She also served on the Academic Board of the Crown Institute of Higher Education (2015–2023), where she contributed to achieving TEQSA compliance, advancing curriculum innovation, and strengthening institutional quality assurance processes.

Ann  brings commercial insight through securing competitive research funding totalling $123,000 and building industry partnerships that have informed curriculum design and professional education initiatives. With over 30 peer‑reviewed publications focusing on governance, performance management systems, and higher education sector reforms, she possesses a comprehensive understanding of the Australian higher education landscape and its emerging national priorities.

Ann maintains an active research program centred on performance management systems, governance, accountability and public value within universities and public‑sector organisations. Her work offers critical insights into how managerial reforms, funding models and evaluative technologies shape organisational behaviour, strategic decision‑making and academic work. She has also developed specialist expertise in the Third Mission of universities, examining stakeholder engagement, societal impact reporting and the evolving expectations placed on higher education institutions. Her publications in ABDC A/A* journals, editorial board service and regular contributions to national and international conferences reflect a sustained commitment to advancing research‑led debates in accounting and higher‑education policy. This scholarly engagement informs her leadership and ensures that her teaching, supervision and program development remain analytically rigorous, sector‑responsive and future‑focused.