Carruthers named as IPSASB chair

14 Sep 15

Ian Carruthers, executive director for policy and standards at CIPFA, has been appointed chair of the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board.

Carruthers will take over from Andreas Bergmann in January for a three-year term. His appointment will see him lead the board in developing and promoting financial reporting standards for use by public sector entities globally.

Carruthers said he was honoured to have been chosen to lead IPSASB through the next critical phase of its work, and in particular addressing the most pressing financial reporting issues facing the public sector.

“The recently completed Conceptual Framework will enable us to address some of the most fundamental reporting issues facing the public sector today,” he said.

“We will also build on the heightened credibility from our enhanced governance arrangements and the existing IPSAS adoption groundswell to play a critical role in strengthening global public financial management – which, in turn, will improve public sector decision-making and make governments more accountable to their constituents.”

He will be IPSASB chair for three-quarters of his time, with the balance spent with CIPFA.

Carruthers noted that by combining his new IPSASB position with an ongoing role at CIPFA, he hoped to be able to maximise the contribution that both can make to strengthening public financial management globally.

Welcoming the appointment, outgoing IPSASB chair Bergmann said: “Ian is an experienced leader whose skills, knowledge, and global contacts will help the IPSASB successfully reach its next stage of development. With this appointment, I am confident that the IPSASB – and the public interest – will continue to be well-served.”

Commenting on the appointment, CIPFA chief executive Rob Whiteman added: “I am delighted that Ian will now be the driving force behind IPSASB improving public sector financial reporting around the world.

“IPSASB and CIPFA both seek to increase capacity and capability in public financial management globally, so Ian’s new roles in both bodies should help to make the step change we have been calling for in recent years.”

Carruthers has been an IPSASB member since 2010 and currently serves as chair of the IPSASB Task Force on Alignment of IPSAS and Public Sector Statistical Reporting.

He joined CIPFA in 2006, having spent the first part of his career in the public sector practice of PwC and the UK Treasury.

  • Judith Ugwumadu
    Judith Ugwumadu

    Judith writes about public finance, public services and economics across Public Finance International and Public Finance. She previously undertook reporting stints at Financial Adviser, Global Security Finance and The Sunday Express.

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