A new tool from the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) is now available to help professional accountancy organizations take leading roles in the anti-corruption fight in their jurisdictions. Global Fight, Local Actions: Anti-Corruption Advocacy Workbook for PAOs equips PAOs and accountancy profession leaders with the background and framework to craft bespoke approaches and messages that best fit their jurisdiction and needs.

Global Fight, Local Actions was used to facilitate discussion at the annual Pan African Federation of Accountants PAO Leadership Forum as part of a workshop on anti-money laundering and the Financial Action Task Force (FATF) “Grey List.” The PAFA Forum was held in advance of the 2023 African Congress of Accountants, taking place this week in Abidjan, Côte d’Ivoire.

“PAOs and the accountancy profession are essential stakeholders at the center of the fight against corruption, in every jurisdiction, in every region,” said Scott Hanson, Director of Policy & Global Engagement at IFAC. “Equipping our member organizations to lead anti-corruption efforts in their jurisdictions was one of our priority actions in last year’s Action Plan for Fighting Corruption and Economic Crime, which this new workbook delivers. We look forward to talking to PAOs around the world to continue helping them develop their national anti-corruption advocacy plans.”

IFAC also plans to build off Global Fight, Local Action with additional initiatives on priority anti-corruption areas, including the interconnected issues of sustainability reporting, public financial management, and financial literacy.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 180 members and associates in 135 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

As the world seeks to decarbonize its economies and achieve net zero emissions, there is an urgent need for stakeholders to understand and respond to that challenge.

Finance professionals and the accountancy profession have a critical role to play in putting sustainability at the heart of decision-making and in enabling responsible corporate practices in the public interest. They must, however, be equipped with the right education and skills to do.

As a Partner Event of the EU Green Week 2023, Developing green skills for finance professionals - Building capacity for a fair and sustainable transition will be held virtually on 8 June 8, 2023 from 4:00pm-5:15pm.

The Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), Accountancy Europe and the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) are bringing together global experts to discuss the skills and education needed for finance professionals to contribute to a green and just transition, focussing in particular on:

• How to identify and create the right framework for sustainability education for finance professionals
• The strong need for capacity building in the sustainability information space, and
• Challenges and opportunities for practitioners

Helen Brand, Chief Executive of ACCA, said: “Finance and accountancy professionals, including auditors, have a key role to play in the transition to a greener global economy. They are increasingly informing and driving sustainability reporting and strategies in businesses across every sector. So it’s crucial that they are equipped with the necessary knowledge and skills.”

“Sustainability education and training are crucial to help accounting and finance professionals address the impacts of climate change in what companies report, empowering them with the knowledge and expertise needed, said Kevin Dancey, IFAC CEO. “ We need to build capability and capacity for high-quality, decision-useful sustainability disclosures—it all starts with education.”

“A just sustainable transition requires appropriate skills and training", said Olivier Boutellis-Taft, Accountancy Europe’s CEO. "The accountancy profession has relevant knowledge and practical experience and also needs to continue expanding its ability to respond to societal needs and support the fundamental changes required to transform our economy.”

The event will feature:  

• Olivier Boutellis-Taft, CEO, Accountancy Europe
• Anne Marie Vitale, IFAC’s chair of the International Panel on Accountancy Education
• Sharon Machado, Head of Sustainable Business, ACCA
• Mardi McBrien, Chief of Strategic Affairs & Capacity Building, IFRS Foundation
• Bianca Isaincu, Policy Analyst, financial literacy and sustainable finance, OECD
• Adriana Tiron Tudor, Chair of Professional Accountancy Education in Europe
• Clemence Lecat, Senior Manager Accounting Expertise, Unilever

The event is free to attend and will be held in English via zoom. View the agenda and register now.  

About ACCA 

ACCA is a global body representing the accounting and auditing profession. The ACCA upholds, trains and advocates for the highest professional and ethical values. Currently, it has 241,000 members and 542,000 future members based in 178 countries. 

About Accountancy Europe 

Accountancy Europe unites 50 professional organisations from 35 countries that represent 1 million professional accountants, auditors, and advisors. They make numbers work for people. Accountancy Europe translates their daily experience to inform the public policy debate in Europe and beyond. Accountancy Europe is in the EU Transparency Register (No 4713568401-18). 

About IFAC

IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 180 members and associates in 135 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global organization for the accountancy profession with members and associates in more than 130 jurisdictions, is seeking an outstanding individual to become its next Chief Executive Officer. 

The successful candidate would join IFAC in late 2023 to facilitate an orderly transition from current CEO Kevin Dancey.  Mr. Dancey has served as CEO since 2018 and announced in March his intent to step down at the end of 2023.   

Thanks largely to the stewardship of Mr. Dancey, IFAC today enjoys constructive relationships with its various stakeholders, and is in as strong a position as ever to help influence the direction of the future of the profession.   

The successful candidate for the CEO role must have a keen interest in and deep personal commitment to IFAC’s vision and purpose: to serve the public interest by promoting the value of professional accountants worldwide; speaking out on public interest issues where the accountancy profession’s expertise is most relevant; developing strong professional accountancy organizations and accounting firms; and supporting the development, adoption and implementation of high-quality international standards. 

Korn Ferry has been retained for the search and is partnering with an IFAC CEO Search Committee, chaired by past President Alan Johnson, to actively engage IFAC member organizations, the accountancy community, and other stakeholders and encourage a diverse and international applicant base.  

The full job specification is available here. It includes a link for qualified applicants to submit indications of their interest. 

Referrals for potential candidate names and contact information may be sent to Sara.Curley@kornferry.com.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of more than 180 members and associates in 135 jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce. 

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IFAC, IPSASB, and Accountancy Europe hosted a lively discussion on the future of sustainability reporting in the public sector, the urgent need to develop public sector specific sustainability reporting standards, and how the IPSASB is exploring undertaking the critical endeavor.

A recording of Equipping the Public Sector for Sustainability Action and highlights are now available.

About IPSASB 
The International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB) works to strengthen public financial management globally through developing and maintaining accrual-based International Public Sector Accounting Standards® (IPSAS®) and other high-quality financial reporting guidance for use by governments and other public sector entities. It also raises awareness of IPSAS and the benefits of accrual adoption. The Board receives support from the Asian Development Bank, the Chartered Professional Accountants of Canada, the New Zealand External Reporting Board, and the governments of Canada and New Zealand. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IPSASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). For copyright, trademark, and permissions information, please go to permissions or contact permissions@ifac.org. 

About IFAC 
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of 180 members and associates in 135 countries and jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce. 

About Accountancy Europe 
Accountancy Europe unites 50 professional organisations from 35 countries that represent 1 million professional accountants, auditors, and advisors. They make numbers work for people. Accountancy Europe translates their daily experience to inform the public policy debate in Europe and beyond. Accountancy Europe is in the EU Transparency Register (No 4713568401-18). 

4:00 PM - 5:15 PM CET | 3:00 PM - 4:00 PM UTC | 10:00 AM - 11:15 AM EST | 7:00 AM - 8:15 AM PST

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The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the voice of the global accountancy profession, announces that Helen Partridge has been named Chief Financial Officer, effective April 1, 2023.  

Ms. Partridge, who joined IFAC in 2020, assumes leadership for IFAC’s finance team and financial activities, including accounting, financial strategy, planning and analysis, and tax.  Previously, Ms. Partridge oversaw IFAC’s Accountancy Education platform, enhancing the multi-stakeholder model, significantly expanding the EdExchange Summit, and driving knowledge-sharing programming for Education Directors. 

On her appointment Ms. Partridge said, “I am delighted with the opportunity to further elevate the strategic role of finance within IFAC, and to help shape IFAC’s strategy in support of the global profession.  I have never been more convinced of the growing importance of --and need for-- professional accountants, whose expertise is integral to the creation and management of sustainable companies, economies and societies.” 

Ms. Partridge continued, “I also look forward to continued involvement in Accountancy Education, which remains a personal and professional passion.  Bruce Vivian, our new head of Accountancy Education, brings a wealth of experience to the role.  I have no doubt that he, in ongoing partnership with the International Panel on Accountancy Education, will only further accelerate our strong momentum.” 

Kevin Dancey, Chief Executive Officer, said, “Helen is a high-impact executive with a proven track record of success in advancing IFAC’s Accountancy Education platform.  As she moves into the CFO role, I have every confidence she will be an excellent partner to me and the IFAC management team in delivering on our strategy.” 

Prior to joining IFAC, Ms. Partridge was an accountant in practice, having spent 16 years with PwC in audit, advisory and audit systems design in the US and Asia Pacific. She has also served in the controllership function at a large multinational transportation company working with GAAP conversions, financial statement preparations and complex and significant transactions such as business combinations and tax planning. Ms. Partridge is a CPA licensed in multiple states in the United States. 

In addition to Ms. Partridge, other women leaders at IFAC include Jennifer DiClerico, Head of Communications; Linda Lach, Head of Governance; and Elaine Young, Head of Human Capital. Partridge succeeds Russell Guthrie, who will be leaving IFAC in June after a successful 22-year career in various leadership capacities including finance, strategy, capacity building and member and external relations.

About IFAC

IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of more than 180 members and associates in 135 jurisdictions, representing more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce. 

CA. Aniket S. Talati joined the Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group in January 2024. He is the president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) for the term 2023-24.

CA. Talati also chairs the ICAI research wing’s Accounting Research Foundation and Extensible Business Reporting Language (XBRL) India as well as serving as a Board Director for ICAI’s Indian Institute of Insolvency Professionals. He is also a member of the Insolvency Law Committee and the Standing Committee of MCA for review of the implementation of the Insolvency & Bankruptcy Code, 2016. During 2022, he was the Vice-Chairman of the ICAI Working Committee of the World Congress of Accountants in Mumbai in 2022.

At the regional and international level, CA. Talati is a board member of the South Asian Federation of Accountants, represents ICAI on the Integrated Reporting and and Connectivity Council as well as ASEAN Federation of Accountants’ and Pan African Federation of Accountants’ board meetings. He is also a technical advisor to the IFAC Board and IFAC’s Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group.

Among his contributions to the accountancy profession, CA. Aniket S. Talati led ICAI’s digital transformation.