Dr Jackie Bettington
Faculty of Business & Law,
School of Accountancy
Biography
Dr Jackie Bettington is a governance researcher, educator, and experienced board director whose work focuses on enhancing director capability and performance to improve board oversight.
Jackie’s research explores how individual directors contribute to effective governance through their skills, judgment, and engagement, especially in high-stakes areas such as financial monitoring and cybersecurity. Her recent studies address critical gaps in boardroom competence, focusing on director financial literacy, cybersecurity literacy, skills diversity, and board dynamics.
She is the developer of the Director Financial Literacy Test (DFLT), a free, anonymous tool designed to help directors self-assess their ability to read and interpret financial statements. This test is widely used by directors across sectors and supports compliance with the legal duty of care.
📋 Effective boards start with capable directors. How do you measure up?: Take the Director Financial Literacy Test
Jackie’s research is methodologically grounded in Delphi studies and Rasch Measurement Theory, which she uses to define, test, and validate director competencies rigorously. These methods underpin her development of psychometrically robust tools that translate legal, theoretical, and regulatory requirements into practical, measurable director capabilities.
Her academic work is supported by over two decades of service as a board director and chair. She teaches and supervises in board governance, information management, accountability, ethical leadership, and socially responsible business. Jackie is committed to bridging theory and practice by producing validated tools and actionable insights that support better board decisions, stronger oversight, and more resilient organisations.
Personal details
Positions
- Lecturer
Faculty of Business & Law,
School of Accountancy
Research field
Accounting, auditing and accountability
Field of Research code, Australian and New Zealand Standard Research Classification (ANZSRC), 2020
Qualifications
- Doctor of Philosophy (Queensland University of Technology)
- Masters of Business (Research) (Queensland University of Technology)
- MLitt (Public History) (University of Sydney)
- MA (University of Sydney)
- MBA (Queensland University of Technology)
- GradDipEd (Secondary) (Charles Sturt University)
- GradDipIM (ArchivAdmin) (University of New South Wales)
- GradCert (Philanthropy&NpSt) (Queensland University of Technology)
- BA (University of New South Wales)
Professional memberships and associations
- Accounting and Finance Association of Australian and New Zealand (AFAANZ) - Member
- Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM) - Member
- Australian Institute of Company Directors (AICD) - Member (GAICD)
- Governance Institute of Australia (GIA) - Fellow (FGIA)
- International Society of Corporate Governance (ICGS) - Member
Teaching
- ACYM0001 For-Purpose Board Governance Masterclass
- ACYM0002 For-Purpose Board Governance Microcredential
- AYN571 Third Sector Governance, Risk and Legal Issues
- BSB130 Social Enterprises
- BSB151 Business Law and Governance
- GSN473 Corporate Governance and Accountability
- GSZ473 Corporate Governance and Accountability
Experience
Over the past 20 years, Jackie has served as a director and chair on various nonprofit boards, including professional associations, heritage and cultural institutions, and organisations providing residential care and support to children and young people. She works with a wide range of organisations and professional associations to design and deliver applied governance education and director development programs. These include the For-Purpose Board Governance Masterclass and a microcredential partnership with the Australian Institute of For-Purpose Leaders (AIFPL), which focuses on building boardroom capability for directors and executives in purpose-led organisations.
Jackie also has extensive professional experience in information governance, law, policy, and regulatory practice across the public, nonprofit, and commercial sectors. This cross-sector expertise enables her to co-design governance frameworks, tools, and professional development programs that are both evidence-based and tailored to real-world challenges.
Publications
- Bettington, J., Nicholson, G. & Bezemer, P. (2015). Understanding director financial literacy: A mixed method approach. Proceedings of the 29th Annual Conference of the Australian and New Zealand Academy of Management (ANZAM 2015). https://eprints.qut.edu.au/212625
QUT ePrints
For more publications by Jackie, explore their research in QUT ePrints (our digital repository).
Filter publications:
A complete list of publications is available at: https://www.qut.edu.au/about/our-people/academic-profiles/j.bettington
Supervision
Looking for a postgraduate research supervisor?
I am currently accepting research students for Honours, Masters and PhD study.
You can browse existing student topics offered by QUT or propose your own topic.
Current supervisions
- Behavioural Insights into Board Diversity and Leadership: Enhancing Decision-Making in Sporting Boards
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Natalie Elms, Associate Professor Muhammad Ali - Digital Development Goals: A Design Science Research Approach
PhD, Associate Supervisor
Other supervisors: Professor Michael Rosemann, Professor Matthew Rimmer - Examining the accountability practices of transnational social enterprises
MPhil, Associate Supervisor - Predicting Financial Sustainability in Independent schools in Australia
PhD, Principal Supervisor
Other supervisors: Dr Natalie Elms, Associate Professor Bronwyn McCredie
The supervisions listed above are only a selection.