By Nick Mann | 19 November 2012
New Zealander Warren Allen has been elected president of the International Federation of Accountants.
Allen has been on the board of the global accountancy organisation for six years and was previously deputy president.
Olivia Kirtley, of the US, became deputy president, a role that includes chairing the planning and finance committee. She joined the IFAC board in 2007, and has chaired the governance and audit committee.
Kirtley and Allen will both serve two-year terms.
Following his election at the November 16 IFAC council meeting in South Africa, Allen said: ‘Ours is a global profession – in fact, probably the only truly global profession. We have much to celebrate, but there are still many demands to be met. I am completely committed to meeting these demands – to working with the boards and committees, IFAC member bodies, and IFAC’s exceptional management team and staff to deliver on all of the priorities contained in the strategic plan.’
Allen is an executive director and recently retired partner of Ernst & Young New Zealand and a past president and life member of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants.
He was also a member of IFAC's education committee – now the International Accounting Education Standards Board – for more than ten years and chair from 1998 to 2004.
Kirtley is a non-executive director for US Bancorp, Papa John’s International Inc, and ResCare Inc. She has also served as chair of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and of the AICPA Board of Examiners.
IFAC’s outgoing president, Göran Tidström, said Allen and Kirtley’s experience would be ‘indispensible’ in helping the accountancy profession to play its part in addressing the effects of the sovereign debt and financial crises.
‘Warren’s experience on the education committee and his service as deputy president and as chair of IFAC’s planning and finance committee will serve IFAC well, and Olivia’s experience as a professional accountant in business and corporate director will bring new perspectives to the role,’ he added.
The IFAC council meeting also approved the strategic plan for 2013–2016. The plan, Leading the way, outlines how the organisation will focus on its core activity – developing, adopting and implementing high-quality international standards.
It will also continue to focus on improved public sector financial reporting and integrated reporting, as well as enhancing its work on regulation and public policy.
Six new associates were admitted to the organisation: the Albanian Institute of Certified Accountants, the Association of National Accountants of Nigeria, the Institute of Professional Auditors (Russia), the Ordre National des Experts Comptables et des Comptables Agréés du Togo, the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Rwanda, and the Ordem dos Técnicos Oficiais de Contas (Portugal).
Two existing associates were admitted to the organisation as members – the Association of Accounting Technicians (UK) and the Mongolian Institute of Certified Public Accountants – while the Pan African Federation of Accountants received Recognised Regional Organisation status.
