Danelle Lezama, FCCA
Chief Academic Officer & Co-Founder, ACCA Smart™
For over two decades, I watched brilliant accounting students struggle with the same problem: they didn’t know how to maximise their ACCA exemptions. They’d complete a degree, discover they’d missed opportunities, and feel frustrated starting over.
In 2016, I changed that. I led curriculum development at COSTAATT to secure the Caribbean’s first 7 ACCA exemptions. Students were ecstatic. But I knew we could do better.
One year later, we achieved 9 exemptions — the first institution in the Caribbean to reach this milestone. Students who would have spent 6–8 years qualifying could now do it in 4 years, saving thousands of dollars and years of their lives.
There was one problem: only COSTAATT students had access to this knowledge. Students at UWI, SBCS, and other institutions were still struggling in the dark. That’s when I realised — this knowledge needs to be accessible to everyone.
ACCA Smart™ is my answer. It’s the platform I wish had existed when I started teaching. It combines my 20 years of expertise with AI technology to give every Caribbean student personalised guidance — no matter where they study.
“Every student deserves to know their optimal path to ACCA qualification. No one should waste time or money because they didn’t have the right guidance.” — Danelle Lezama, FCCA
Professional Background
- Current: Senior Lecturer in Accounting, COSTAATT (2011–Present)
- Former: Senior Associate & GTS Supervisor, PricewaterhouseCoopers T&T (2002–2010)
- Qualifications: Fellow of ACCA (FCCA) · ICATT Member · Microsoft Certified Professional · T&T National Scholar
- Expertise: Audit & Assurance · Financial Reporting · Management Accounting · Curriculum Development · Caribbean ACCA Examiner
- Other: Musician (guitarist/bassist) · Graphic Artist · Technology Enthusiast