By connecting and uniting its members, IFAC makes the accountancy profession truly global.

Our advisory groups play a vital role in connecting the global accountancy profession by bringing together diverse expertise and perspectives from our membership and leading accounting and finance professionals. By fostering collaboration and innovation, these groups help us shape the future of the profession, ensuring it remains globally connected and committed to serving the public interest. They also help us provide value back to our membership by working with us to develop tools and resources that address trending challenges and opportunities.  

• The International Panel on Accountancy Education supports the advancement of accountancy education at the global level.  
• The Professional Accountancy Organization Development and Advisory Group helps support strong, sustainable professional accountancy organizations.  
• The Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group considers key global trends in the context of the issues facing chief financial officers and finance functions, as well as boards and their audit committees. 
• The Small and Medium Practices Advisory Group provides input to the independent standard-setting boards, develops practical guidance and resources, and promotes the visibility and recognition of SMPs and SMEs.  

We extend a very warm welcome to all our new advisory group members and express our sincere gratitude and farewells to departing members, listed below, for volunteering their time to strengthen our profession.  

Lee White, IFAC Chief Executive Officer said: “We are thrilled to welcome these distinguished professionals to our advisory groups. Their expertise and dedication will enhance our efforts to strengthen global collaboration and support the profession in meeting the challenges and opportunities of today’s rapidly changing world. Thank you to our outgoing members for generously sharing your time and insights with us—we invite you to stay connected and continue to be part of our collective voice shaping the future of the accountancy profession.” 

International Panel on Accountancy Education  

New Members 

• Jennifer Eberman, Director, Assurance and Financial Reporting, Global Audit and Assurance Learning | Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited (Canada) 
• Maria Escobar, Dean of the Faculty of Public Accounting, Universidad Externado de Colombia | Instituto Nacional de Contadores Públicos de Colombia (INCP) (Colombia) 
• Geoffrey Injeni, Faculty and Leadership/Management Consultant, Strathmore University Business School | Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) (Kenya) 
• Manil Jayesinghe, Board Member, Securities & Exchange Commission of Sri Lanka | Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (ICASL) (Sri Lanka) 
• Mirela Paunescu, Associate Professor, Bucharest University of Economic Studies | Corpul Expertilor Contabili si Contabililor Autorizati din Romania (CECCAR) (Romania) 
• Qi Zhang, Professor, Zhongnan University of Economics and Law | Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA) (China) 

Departing Members 

• Adriana Florina Popa, Professor, Academia de Studii Economice din București | CECCAR (Romania) 
• Chaaminda Kumarasiri, Chairman, ACCA Sri Lanka | ICASL (Sri Lanka) 
• Gabriela-María Farías-Martínez, Associate Dean of Faculty Development, School of Business, Tecnológico de Monterrey | Instituto Mexicano de Contadores Públicos (IMCP) (Mexico) 
• Greg Owens, Director, Global Assurance, BDO Global | BDO Global (United Kingdom) 
• Innocent Okwuosa, Chief Executive Officer, Entop Consulting Ltd | Institute of Chartered Accountants of Nigeria (Nigeria) 
• Stacy-Ann Golding, Managing Director, S.N. Golding Financial Services Limited | Institute of Chartered Accountants of Trinidad and Tobago (Trinidad and Tobago) 
• Thorben Ehrlich, Global Audit & Assurance Chief Learning Officer, Deloitte | Deloitte (Germany) 
• Yoke Kai Chan, Head, Accountancy at Sim University | Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (Singapore) 

Professional Accountancy Organization Development and Advisory Group  

New Members 

• Kate Holroyd-Smith, Director of International Development, Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales (ICAEW) | ICAEW (United Kingdom) 
• Brett Maloney, Chief Operating Officer, Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) | IPA (Australia) 
• Verily Kearoma Molatedi, Chief Executive Officer, Botswana Institute of Chartered Accountants (BICA) | BICA (Botswana) 
• Luisa Salcedo, Chief Executive Officer, INCP | INCP (Colombia) 
• Jingshi Wang, Deputy Director of Research and Development, CICPA | CICPA (China) 

Departing Member 

• Andrew Conway, Chief Executive Officer, IPA | IPA (Australia) 

Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group  

New Members 

• Lei Chen, Executive Vice President & Board Director, State Grid Overseas Investment Limited | CICPA (China) 
• Zekeriya Demir, Chief Financial Officer, Turkish Technic Inc | Union of Chambers of Certified Public Accountants Turkey (TÜRMOB) (Türkiye) 
• Lynda Gimena Estupiñán Peñaloza, Accounting Director - Americas (NA & LATAM) Region, Medtronic Shared Services Americas SAS | INCP (Colombia) 
• Ashish Thatte, Partner, Joshi Apte and Associates Firm of Cost and Management Accountants | Institute of Cost Accountants of India (ICMAI) (India) 

Departing Members 

• Zia ul Mustafa Awan, President, House of Professionals Inc.| Institute of Cost and Management Accountants of Pakistan (Pakistan) 
• Anastasija Boljević, Secretary General, Institute of Certified Accountants of Montenegro (ICAM) | ICAM (Montenegro) 
• Ibrahim Murat Çağlar, Chief Financial Officer, Sanovel Ilac Sanayi ve Ticaret A.S. | TÜRMOB (Türkiye) 
• Ruth Gardiner-Forbes, President and Chief Executive Officer, FortisTCI | Institute of Management Accountants (IMA) (Turks and Caicos Islands) 
• Maria del Dado Alonso Sanchez, CFO, Berlin Brands Group | IMA (Spain) 

Small and Medium Practices Advisory Group  

New Members 

• Eleni Ashioti, Head of Technical and Professional Matters, The Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Cyprus (ICPAC) | ICPAC (Cyprus) 
• Rogelio Avalos, Director of Risk and Quality, Baker Tilly Mexico | IMCP (Mexico) 
• Hans Raj Chugh, Managing Partner, ASHM & Associates | The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India (ICAI) (India) 
• Catherine Hardinge, Compliance Partner, Price Bailey LLP | ICAEW (United Kingdom) 
• Mohanad Taha Khaled, Managing Partner, BDO Egypt | ACCA (UK/Egypt) 
• Kelly Khalilieh, Partner, Professional Standards & Quality Managment, McGovern Hurley LLP | CPA Canada (Canada) 
• George Mokua, Managing Partner, Mokua Onwonga & Co | ICPAK (Kenya) 
• Chongwon Yoon, Director, Grant Thornton Daejoo | Korean Institute of Certified Public Accountants (KICPA) (South Korea) 

Departing Members 

• Alexandra Peñuela Cuesto, Partner, KPMG Colombia | INCP (Colombia)
• John Nagy, Director, Reid Hurst Nagy Inc. | CPA Canada (Canada)
• Yunjin Oh | KICPA (South Korea)
• Alex Peal, Partner and Joint Managing Partner, James Cowper Kreston | Consultative Committee of Accountancy Bodies (United Kingdom)
• Rajesh Sharma, Partner, RPA Associates | ICAI (India) 

About IFAC  

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.  

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.  

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.  

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) welcomes the Public Interest Oversight Board’s (PIOB) important decision to certify its Global Ethics Sustainability Standards and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) Statement of Support calling on its members to apply or be informed by the new framework. 

The Global Ethics Sustainability Standards include the International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (including International Independence Standards) (IESSA) and the revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code) related to sustainability reporting and to the use of the work of an external expert.

Reacting to the PIOB’s Certification and IOSCO’s Statement of Support, Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair of IESBA said:

“The certification of IESBA’s new ethics standards framework for Sustainability and Experts, along with IOSCO's call for its members to adopt or be informed by the framework, marks a significant step to cement ethics as the foundation of trust and accountability in sustainability reporting and assurance. The global sustainability standards infrastructure is now complete, with the ethics piece providing foundational instruments to underpin transparent, relevant and trustworthy sustainability information. Looking forward to the joint launch with IAASB of the new ethics and assurance standards. Join us on 27 January.”

These landmark new standards provide a robust ethical framework for reporting and assuring sustainability-related information that promotes high quality, reliable information for decision-making by investors, lenders, customers, suppliers, government, regulators and other stakeholders.  

The IESSA and related revisions to the Code, including regarding using the work of an external expert, address critical risks to the integrity, quality and effectiveness of sustainability reporting and assurance such as bias, conflicts of interest, pressure to act unethically, fraud including greenwashing, non-compliance with laws and regulations, and threats to the independence of the assurance practitioners.

The final standards can be found on the IESBA’s website https://www.ethicsboard.org/standards-pronouncements.

The official launch of the new standards will take place on January 27, 2025, jointly with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board’s (IAASB) International Standard on Sustainability Assurance 5000 (ISSA 5000). After robust and close coordination, the IESBA and IAASB developed comprehensive, interoperable global standards for assurance, ethics, and independence for sustainability assurance engagements.           

The International Standards: 2024 Global Adoption Status Snapshot highlights how widely international standards are embraced across IFAC member jurisdictions. Since the inaugural 2019 report, we continue to see notable progress in adoption of the international standards as well as enhancing quality assurance and investigation & discipline systems. The 2024 update highlights a selection of success stories from IFAC members. It also identifies the conditions that help advance adoption and implementation, as well as more opportunities for further collaboration and connected learning.

This progress is made possible by the steadfast commitment of IFAC member organizations to the requirements outlined in the Statements of Membership Obligations (SMOs). By proudly carrying their IFAC membership as a badge of international recognition and working with IFAC to publish their adoption & implementation actions on IFAC’s International Standards Adoption Map, these organizations reinforce their dedication to integrity and professional quality, and to shape the future of the profession through their commitment to the public interest.

Access the 2024 Global Adoption Status Snapshot

About IFAC

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.

On behalf of the IAASB, Happy New Year to all. The IAASB closed out a productive 2024 by approving ISA 570 (Revised), Going Concern closely following the September 2024 approval of ISSA 5000, General Requirements for Sustainability Assurance Engagements. It is natural for our stakeholders to want to know what the IAASB plans to do in 2025. Our strategy document, Elevating Trust in Audit and Assurance, provides clear guidance.

For 2025, from a standard-setting standpoint, we are translating the strategy into three leading tasks:

1. Finish what we have started.
2. Give the market time and support to ensure high-quality implementation.
3. Increase our focus on technology to enhance audit and assurance quality.

Finish what we have started. By the end of the first half of 2025, the IAASB will complete its projects on Fraud and the second phase of our IESBA convergence work on Listed and Public Interest Entities. The IAASB intends to approve revisions to the Fraud standard in March and will undertake a consultation and outreach on Listed and Public Entities in Q1 to permit June 2025 approval. With the finalization of these projects, an important phase of our 2024-2027 work plan ends.

Give the market time and support to ensure high-quality implementation. In recent years, IAASB major initiatives included ISA 315 (Revised 2019), the quality management suite of standards (ISQMs 1 and 2, and ISA 220 (Revised), group audits (ISA 600 (Revised), the ISA for Audits of Financial Statements of Less Complex Entities, ISSA 5000, and going concern (ISA 570 (Revised 2024). With the addition of the standards we anticipate finalizing in the first half of 2025, our focus will turn to supporting implementation of these standards, allowing time for their effective adoption, and beginning to assess their effectiveness through post-implementation reviews. For example, jointly with IESBA, we will be launching comprehensive implementation support plans for our sustainability standards at the end of January.

Increase our focus on technology to enhance audit and assurance quality. As our work plan transitions, there will necessarily be a period of calm in terms of new standards coming into effect.  However, we will not slow our work on key public interest topics. In September, the IAASB approved a new Technology Position and “committed to actively facilitating and, where appropriate, encouraging the appropriate use of technology.” While technology is not the sole driver, a dedicated focus on technology will be a priority over the next three years. Our recent project proposal to revise our Audit Evidence and Risk Response standards, scheduled to be completed in early 2027, highlights this commitment. We will be updating our project timelines shortly to reflect the technology priority.

The IAASB has emphasized the value of stakeholder engagement and has deepened outreach over recent years. As we pursue the three actions above, expect this level of outreach to continue.

It is with profound sadness that IFEA announces the passing of Imran Vanker, a valued member of the IFEA family. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends following the tragic and sudden loss of Imran and his daughter yesterday. Our hearts go out to their loved ones during this unimaginable time.

Imran was a member of the IAASB from 2016 to 2021 and, through his work at the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) in South Africa, remained an esteemed colleague and member of the IAASB community. His passing, alongside that of his daughter, leaves an irreplaceable void.

Imran was a staunch supporter of IESBA, actively participating as a member of the IESBA-National Standard Setters liaison group. His commitment to ethical behavior was demonstrated through his inspiration and significant contributions during his years of service. 

“Imran will be remembered not only for his many contributions to the audit profession but also for the warmth and goodwill he brought to all IAASB discussions. Imran had a passion for serving the public interest, one that will be hard to replicate,” said Tom Seidenstein, IAASB Chair.

‘’Imran was a friend of the IESBA and a passionate advocate for ethics and integrity in the accounting profession. Imran’s legacy of ethical leadership will continue to guide us, and his memory will remain a source of inspiration for all who strive to uphold the highest standards in our work,” said Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, IESBA Chair.

As an organization, we share in the sorrow of this loss and are keeping the Vanker family in our thoughts. We will continue to honor their memory during this difficult time.

Top leaders in global sustainability standard setting, regulation, and accounting joined an afternoon of programming jointly hosted by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the IFRS Foundation, and the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) in New York to advance global adoption and implementation of the ISSB standards and build an understanding of sustainability assurance in its early days.  

The invite-only event, Accelerating Climate and Sustainability-related Disclosures: A Global Perspective, was significantly oversubscribed. To support ongoing discussion on this critical topic and continue momentum and action, IFAC is making recordings of the event available to the public. Watch the series here.

Part 1: A Global Perspective from the IFRS Foundation, IOSCO, and IFAC

• Jean-Paul Servais, Chair, IOSCO
• Emmanuel Faber, Chair, ISSB
• Moderator: Lee White, IFAC

Part 2: Reporting Perspective

• Ciara Lee, Senior Director, ESG Global Finance, CISCO
• Pamela Steer, President & Chief Executive Officer, CPA Canada
• Alessandra Lehmen, President, Brazilian Bar Environmental Law Commission (OAB/RS)
• Moderator: Elizabeth Seeger, Member, ISSB

Part 3: Standard Setter Perspective

• Tom Seidenstein, Chair, IAASB
• Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Chair, IESBA

Part 4: Assurance Perspective

• Christine Albrecht, Managing Director, Deloitte; Chair, IFAC Transnational Auditors Committee (TAC), Forum of Firms
• Ami Beers, Senior Director — Assurance and Advisory Innovation, AICPA
• Kevin O‘Connell, Sustainability Assurance Services Leader, PwC US 
• Moderator: Andrew Hobbs, Andrew Hobbs, EY EMEIA Center for Board Matters Leader, EMEIA Public Policy Leader

Held during Climate Week NYC, this was just one of several IFAC connected learning events held this year to foster collaboration and alignment among regulators, standard setters, businesses, and the accountancy community to accelerate the uptake of climate-related disclosure and assurance.  

In 2025, these action-advancing conversations will continue globally as part of the IFAC Connect^TM series, with plans to convene leaders in Africa, Asia, Europe, Latin America, and MENA and again in New York City at Climate Week in September.

To advance the sustainability transformation or for more information about this conference or IFAC Connect events, please contact the office of Chief Executive Officer Lee White at Communications@IFAC.org.

About IFAC
IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.

IAASB Chair Tom Seidenstein has been included in the Accounting Today listing of Top 100 Most Influential People in Accounting. 

Accounting Today: “The future of accounting will definitely be more global, and as head of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, few people have more influence over the future of audit and attest worldwide than Seidenstein, who’s also working to make his standard-setting more agile, more collaborative, and more relevant, while also pioneering areas involving sustainability and technology.”

Read the full listing on the Accounting Today website here.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) took a major leap forward at its December 2024 meeting, approving two sets of standards that will underpin public trust in sustainability reporting and assurance:

• The International Ethics Standards for Sustainability Assurance (IESSA) and related revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional Accountants (including International Independence Standards) (the Code), setting a global benchmark for ethical behavior and independence in sustainability reporting and assurance.
• Revisions to the Code on the Using the Work of an External Expert, establishing an ethical framework for evaluating the competence, capabilities and objectivity of external experts used by professional accountants and sustainability assurance practitioners.

The Board also approved a project plan to develop a new standard on accounting firm culture and governance, focusing, among other matters, on ethical leadership and accountability within accounting firms.

The Board marked the departure of two esteemed members, Laurie Endsley, IESBA Vice Chair, and Andy Mintzer. Their dedicated service and contributions have helped significantly shape the IESBA’s work.

Recordings of this week’s meetings will soon be available on the IESBA YouTube channel. Stay tuned for updates as IESBA prepares for the global release of the new sustainability-related standards in January 2025.

For more information, visit ethicsboard.org.

About IESBA

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high-quality, international ethics (including independence) standards as a cornerstone to ethical behavior in business and organizations, and to public trust in financial and non-financial information that is fundamental to the proper functioning and sustainability of organizations, financial markets and economies worldwide.

Along with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board, the IESBA is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit. The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) oversees IESBA and IAASB activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards.

The IAASB extends its congratulations to the IESBA on the approval of its ethics and independence standards for sustainability reporting and assurance.

This milestone marks a significant step forward in ensuring the integrity and trustworthiness of sustainability information—a crucial foundation for decision-making by investors, policymakers, and stakeholders worldwide. The new standards demonstrate the IESBA’s commitment to addressing the evolving needs of the global economy and society, setting the bar for ethical conduct and independence in this crucial area.

The IAASB is proud to have collaborated with IESBA to ensure interoperability with the IAASB’s recently published International Standard on Sustainability Assurance 5000 to ensure interoperability. Working together, these standards advance the public interest and drives consistency and credibility in sustainability reporting and assurance practices globally. Together, we are contributing to a stronger, more transparent future.

It is with profound sadness that IFEA announces the passing of Imran Vanker, a valued member of the IFEA family. We extend our deepest condolences to his family and friends following the tragic and sudden loss of Imran and his daughter yesterday. Our hearts go out to their loved ones during this unimaginable time.

Imran was a member of the IAASB from 2016 to 2021 and, through his work at the Independent Regulatory Board for Auditors (IRBA) in South Africa, remained an esteemed colleague and member of the IAASB community. His passing, alongside that of his daughter, leaves an irreplaceable void.

Imran was a staunch supporter of IESBA, actively participating as a member of the IESBA-National Standard Setters liaison group. His commitment to ethical behavior was demonstrated through his inspiration and significant contributions during his years of service. 

“Imran will be remembered not only for his many contributions to the audit profession but also for the warmth and goodwill he brought to all IAASB discussions. Imran had a passion for serving the public interest, one that will be hard to replicate,” said Tom Seidenstein, IAASB Chair.

‘’Imran was a friend of the IESBA and a passionate advocate for ethics and integrity in the accounting profession. Imran’s legacy of ethical leadership will continue to guide us, and his memory will remain a source of inspiration for all who strive to uphold the highest standards in our work,” said Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, IESBA Chair.

As an organization, we share in the sorrow of this loss and are keeping the Vanker family in our thoughts. We will continue to honor their memory during this difficult time.