IFAC is hosting the virtual global summit, The Anticipatory Accountant: Global Trends Transforming Learning & Development, during International Education Week: November 16-19, 2020 from 7 AM ET to 9 AM ET daily. 

On Day 1 we will ask the question: What if we could see into the future? Leading futurist Daniel Burrus, accompanied by Tom Hood, an influential leader in the accountancy profession, will lead our discussion referencing The Anticipatory Organization Model. 

Days 2-4 will be moderated panels and addressing the global trends of TECHNOLOGY, ENVIRONMENT, and SOCIETY, with an emphasis on environment, society and governance (ESG) issues in light of IFAC’s recent call for an international sustainability standards board. 

Flowing from Day 1, sessions will reflect on the changing nature of these three key global trends, the influencing factors such as regulation and demographics, and the implications for the accountancy profession and learning and development of accountants.

To date, IFAC has registered over 1,000+ participants—register today to join us on November 16!

November 16, 7–9 AM ET

What if We Could See Into the Future?

Introduction: IFAC Deputy President Alan Johnson
Moderator: IFAC International Panel on Accountancy Education Chair Anne-Marie Vitale

  • Daniel Burrus – Daniel Burrus is considered one of the world’s leading futurist speakers on global trends and disruptive Innovation. The New York Times has referred to him as one of the top three business gurus in the highest demand as a speaker. He is an author and strategic advisor to executives from Fortune 500 companies helping them to develop game-changing strategies based on his proven methodologies for capitalizing on technology innovations and their future impact. 
  • Tom Hood – Tom Hood is the CEO of the Business Learning Institute and Maryland Institute of Certified Public Accountants (US). In 2019 he was named the second most influential person in accounting for the seventh year by Accounting Today, his 15th year on the Top 100. He was one of the first five thought leaders inducted into the Accounting Hall of Fame by CPA Practice Advisor in 2015.

November 17, 7-9 AM ET

Key Trend: TECHNOLOGY

Moderator: Sanjay Rughani, Chair of the IFAC Professional Accountants in Business Advisory Group and CEO of Standard Chartered Bank Tanzania

  • Noah Baalesavnu – Co-Founder of CryptoSavannah, leader of the Africa Blockchain Conference, and member of the Blockchain Association of Uganda, and Global Digital Asset & Cryptocurrency Association. CryptoSavannah works with the private sector and governments to build practical solutions using blockchain and other emerging technologies to solve day to day challenges that they experience as a business.
  • V. Gowribalan (Gowri) - Co-Founder and CEO of GRIP (DIFC) Ltd., an investment firm licensed and regulated by the Dubai Financial Services Authority and established within the Dubai International Financial Centre, a fully owned subsidiary of GRIP Investments.
  • Anna Sekaran – Executive Vice President for Technology (East) at Edelman, a leading global communications firm. Prior to this role, she served as program lead on Artificial Intelligence, Academic Initiatives, and Public Affairs with IBM where she led thought leadership and influencer campaigns supporting IBM’s positions on AI ethics and Trusted AI for Business. 

November 18, 7-9 AM ET

Introductory Remarks by IFAC CEO Kevin Dancey

Key Trend: ENVIRONMENT

Moderator: Accountancy Europe Chief Executive Olivier Boutellis-Taft

  • Paul Druckman – World Benchmarking Alliance Chair, Shift Project Chair, Chair of the Future of Corporate Reporting Project at the U.K. Financial Reporting Council, Former CEO of the International Integrated Reporting Council 
  • Safoora Biglari – Director, Community at One Young World, the global forum for young leaders
  • Rob Zochowski – Program Director, Multi-Faculty Impact Investing and Sustainability Special Projects, Harvard Business School

November 19, 7-9 AM ET

Key Trend: SOCIETY

Moderator: Pan African Federation of Accountants Former CEO Vickson Ncube

  • Mervyn King – Senior Counsel and former Judge of the Supreme Court of South Africa. He is also Chair Emeritus of the King Committee on Corporate Governance in South Africa, which produced King I, II, III and IV, and Chair of the Good Law Foundation
  • Anne Abraham – Former Managing Director of SAP and Cisco in Malaysia, Anne now runs her own consulting and training organization, Leadwomen Sdn Bhd. She is also a co-founder of the Malaysian Chapter of the 30% Club, which drives for 30% women on boards and senior managements positions in public listed companies.
  • Kieran Pender – Senior Legal Advisor at the International Bar Association, visiting Fellow at the ANU College of Law (Australia), and freelance writer for The Saturday Paper, Times Literary Supplement, Australian Book Review, Australian Financial Review Magazine and Monocle 

The Anticipatory Accountant: Global Trends Transforming Learning & Development

Register for free today!

Gabriella Kusz MBA, MPP, CPA, CGMA

Gabriella Kusz was a principal, Strategic Initiatives, at IFAC where she supported accountancy’s leadership and innovation in the digital era.

Gabriella also serves as board director at the Global Digital Asset and Cryptocurrency Association, a global voluntary self-regulatory association for the industry where she supports awareness building and education. She also serves as a Distinguished Global Expert for the Global Small and Medium Enterprise Policy Network at Prince Sultan University (Riyadh, Saudi Arabia), as an advisor to the Banque Saudi Fransi / PSU Global Islamic Finance, Tax and Zakat Centre, and as deputy chair of the Government Blockchain Association Regulator Working Group.

Prior to joining IFAC, Gabriella worked with the World Bank Group Governance Global Practice where she was responsible for leading the Corporate Governance and Financial Reporting workstream for the Middle East and North Africa region.

Gabriella is a licensed US CPA (Virginia) and CGMA and holds AICPA Certificates in IFRS as well as the Global Reporting Initiative Certificate in Sustainability Reporting Standards. She holds a Master’s in Public Policy (International Policy and Development) from Georgetown University and a Master’s in Business Administration and Bachelor of Accounting from the University of Dayton.