Olivia Kirtley has been elected president of the International Federation of Accountants, becoming the first woman and the first representative from business and industry to serve in the position.
Kirtley, a CPA and CGMA from the United States, will serve a two-year term ending in 2016.
“This is an exciting time for IFAC, with challenges and opportunities for the profession at every level,” she said. “As president, I look forward to engaging with member bodies and our many stakeholders as we seek ways to advance the impact and value of our profession, and in serving the public interest.”
Outgoing IFAC president Warren Allen said, “As I hand over the presidency to Olivia, I know that I will be leaving IFAC in the most capable of hands. She has been a great source of support for me during my term, and was a leader on key initiatives that have enhanced and will sustain the accountancy profession and help to transform IFAC into a more responsive and sustainable organization.”
Kirtley began her career with an international accounting firm and spent over two decades in executive management positions in industry. She also previously served on the IFAC Task Force on Rebuilding Public Confidence in Financial Reporting in 2002 and 2003, and as chair of the American Institute of CPAs.
“Olivia has brought to IFAC the same qualities that made her tenure as AICPA chair so successful,” said institute president and CEO Barry Melancon. “Her experience in corporate finance and management accounting, extensive public board leadership and earlier work in public practice combine for proven leadership in today’s complex global business environment. I applaud her election.”
The IFAC Council also announced the election of Rachel Grimes of Australia as deputy president.
Grimes is CFO Technology at Westpac, a multinational financial services firm; she previously served as director of M&A. She has more than 24 years of experience across the financial services sector.
Five new members were also elected to the IFAC Board: Raphael Ding (Hong Kong), Richard Petty (Australia), Kumar Raghu (India), Shinji Someha (Japan), and Joy Thomas (Canada)., while Ahmadi Hadibroto (Indonesia) and Masum Turker (Turkey) were re-elected.
