Mirela Păunescu become a member of IPAE in 2025 and is an Associate Professor at the Bucharest University of Economic Studies (ASE), specializing in accounting, audit, and taxation. With over 20 years of academic and professional experience, she has made significant contributions to the field, both through research and practical engagement. Her scholarly work focuses on key areas such as accounting, auditing, and tax regulation, enriching the academic literature with valuable insights. Mirela earned an MBA the Bentley University (US) and a PhD in accounting in Romania.

Beyond academia, Mirela is an active member of the Body of Expert and Licensed Accountants of Romania (CECCAR), demonstrating her deep commitment to the Romanian accounting profession. Her influence extends to the governance of financial supervisory bodies, where she has played a key role in shaping regulatory frameworks. Over the years, she has contributed to legislative development, education, and professional publications, actively participating in the transposition of European legislation into Romania's taxation, auditing, and accounting standards.

As an educator, Mirela is passionate about inspiring and empowering students and professionals to embrace the accounting profession with enthusiasm and adaptability. She believes in the continuous evolution of expertise, encouraging individuals to stay engaged and relevant at every stage of their careers.

Mr. Manil Jayesinghe joined the International Panel on Accountancy Education in Jan 2025 and was nominated by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka.

He currently serves on many public listed companies as an independent Director and a governing board member of the Central Bank of Sri Lanka. He also chairs the accounting standards committee of Sri Lanka and of the South Asian Federation of Accountants.

He was the past president of the Institute of Chartered accountants of Sri Lanka and also served on the International Accountancy Education Standards Board ( IFAC). He served as the country managing partner of Ernst & Young Sri Lanka and Maldives in 2021/23.

He is a Fellow member of the Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka, Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (UK), Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka and a member of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy.

Dr. Escobar was nominated to be part of IPAE by the National Institute of Public Accountants of Colombia in 2024 and was selected as a member in September 2024. She begins her participation in IPAE in January 2025.

Dr. Escobar is the current Dean of the Faculty of Public Accounting at the Universidad Externado de Colombia (South America). She has been academic and research director, undergraduate and graduate coordinator and research professor for more than 20 years. She also has more than 20 years of experience in international non-profit entities in which she worked in the accounting and financial area.

She is a member of the board of directors of the Association of Public Accounting Faculties of Colombia and she is the president of the national education committee of the technical council of public accounting. She has published books and articles in relation to accounting education.

She has a professional degree in public accounting, a master's degree in education with an emphasis on management and evaluation and a doctorate in social studies from the Universidad Externado de Colombia. Programs in which she earned honors scholarships for her academic excellence.

Geoffrey has over 25 years of experience in industry, consulting, and academia. He is dedicated to advancing organizational sustainability through strategic, financial, governance, social, and environmental perspectives. He is also passionate about advancing the accounting and finance profession through education, training and research.

Currently, Geoffrey serves as the Chairman of the Audit and Risk Committee at St. Francis Community Hospital. He has held notable leadership roles, including past Chairmanship of the Strathmore University Credit Union (Mzima Savings and Credit Cooperative) and non-executive directorship at the Universities Investment Company (Mzima Investment Company). He has also served as a board member for various organizations and held pivotal academic leadership positions at Strathmore University, such as Director of the School of Accounting and the School of Finance and Applied Economics. Geoffrey has also worked as a Credit Controller and Financial Reporting Accountant.

Geoffrey has an extensive consultancy and training portfolio, encompassing Corporate Governance, Sustainability, Finance for Non-Finance Professionals, International Accounting Standards, Auditing and Public Standards, Risk Management, and Public and Personal Financial Management. As a member of faculty at Strathmore University Business School, he facilitates sessions on Financial and Managerial Accounting, Financial Management, International Finance, Project Finance, Investment Analysis, Financial and Business Analysis, and Risk Management to professional course students, undergraduate students and graduate students He also supervises and grades research in these areas up to post graduate level.

In the professional sphere, Geoffrey actively contributes to the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) as a member of the Professional Standards Committee and a trainer with its Technical Services Division. He is also a judge for the Financial Reporting Excellence Awards, focusing on Environmental, Social, and Governance (ESG) and Integrated Reporting. Previously, he was a member of the Education and Research Committee at the Institute of Chartered Investment Financial Analysts (ICIFA) and the Kenya Advisory Council of ACCA. He has served as a volunteer grader with the CFA® Institute. He has played a pivotal role in shaping accounting and finance curricula through his involvement with the Kenya Accountants and Secretaries National Examinations Board (KASNEB) and development of curricula at Strathmore. Recently, he was appointed to the Accountancy Learning and Development Advisory Group of the Pan African Federation of Accountants (PAFA).

Geoffrey is a Fellow of ICPAK and ACCA and an active member of CFA® Institute, CFA® Society East Africa, and ICIFA. He has a PhD in Accounting and Finance from Strathmore University, where his research was on integrated reporting.

Jennifer Eberman joined the IPAE in 2025, nominated by Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited. She is a distinguished leader in accounting and assurance education with over two decades of experience.

As a Director and Assurance and Reporting Lead for Audit & Assurance Learning at Deloitte, Jennifer oversees the strategic direction and development of the global learning curriculum for Assurance, IFRS, and Sustainability, directly enabling Deloitte's international network of Audit and Assurance practitioners. Previously, she served as Senior Manager at Deloitte & Touche LLP, where she led the development of IFRS, ASPE, and PSAS learning content. She also held the role of Associate Director of Education at CPA Ontario, managing the CPA exam process, and was the National UFE Director & Senior Manager at KPMG LLP, directing the technical preparatory program for CPA students across Canada.

Jennifer has been actively involved in professional organizations such as CPA Canada and has contributed to various boards and committees, including the Girl Guides of Canada and the Ottawa Humane Society. Her expertise in learning design, facilitation, and project management, combined with her commitment to professional excellence, makes her a valuable asset to the IPAE.

Jennifer holds multiple professional designations, including CPA, CA, CIA, and CPA (Illinois). She also has a Bachelor of Science in Mathematics from Acadia University.

Dr. Qi Zhang became member of International Panel on Accountancy Education in December 2024, nominated by the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA).

Dr. Zhang is a full Professor and the Dean at the School of Accountancy and the Head of finance office of Zhongnan University of Economics and Law (People's Republic of China).

Dr. Zhang is chairman of the Government Accounting Professional Committee of the Accounting Society of China. He also serves as a member of the Consultative Advisor Group for the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board, a consulting expert for China's Ministry of Finance (MoF)'s Government Accounting Standards Committee.

Dr. Zhang was awarded by Chang Jiang Scholars Program of China in 2023, and has been honored as a National Advanced Accounting Worker in 2022, National Academic Accounting Leading Talent Project in 2016, and was selected for the Ministry of Finance (MoF)'s Distinguished Accounting Expert Project in 2023. His main achievements were published in the Journal of Environmental Economics and Management, Economic modelling, Journal of Accounting and Public Policy and other top journals.

Dr. Zhang earned Bachelor degree, Master degree and PhD in accounting at Zhongnan University of Economics and Law and is a member of CICPA.

Sayja Barton is a Principal at the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSAB). She joined the IPSASB staff in 2025 and collaborates with the team to deliver the Board’s work program developing International Public Sector Accounting Standards (IPSAS).

Prior to joining the IPSASB, Sayja was Director of National Accounting Standards for BDO Canada, where she led firm initiatives related to the public sector, private sector and not-for-profit organizations. In that role, Sayja assisted engagement teams in dealing with complex technical accounting issues, developed and delivered internal and external training and resources, and provided accounting advisory services on complex matters.

During her career Sayja has worked with a wide range of public sector organizations, including local, subnational, national and Indigenous governments and government organizations, including working for a large government business enterprise.

Sayja was previously the Technical Advisor to the Canadian Board Member of the IPSASB. She is a member of the Canadian Public Sector Accounting Board (PSAB)’s Public Sector Accounting Discussion Group and the former Chair of PSAB’s Technical Advisory Group.

Sayja is a Canadian Chartered Professional Accountant and holds a Bachelor of Arts Honours Chartered Accountancy Studies and a Master of Accounting from the University of Waterloo.

Mr. Lei Chen was appointed to the IFAC PAIB Advisory Group in January 2025, nominated by the Chinese Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CICPA).

Mr. Chen has long contributed to the global development of the State Grid Corporation of China (State Grid), the world’s largest utility and one of China’s leading companies. Since 2021, he has served as a board member and senior executive of State Grid Overseas Investment Limited (SGOI), holding roles as CFO and executive vice president. SGOI, the overseas treasury center of State Grid, entrusts Mr. Chen with responsibilities spanning financing management, compliance, risk control, and legal affairs.

Prior to joining SGOI, Mr. Chen spent nearly a decade at State Grid International Development Co., Ltd. (SGID), the international arm of State Grid specializing in overseas energy asset investment and operations. As a key member and leader of SGID's investment and financing team, he played a pivotal role in major M&A transactions and witnessed the company’s rapid expansion across Asia-Pacific, Latin America, and Europe.

Mr. Chen began his career at Ernst & Young as an auditor, assisting clients with overseas listings.

He holds professional qualifications from CICPA, ACCA, and CGMA and is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA). Mr. Chen earned a PhD in accounting from the Institute of Fiscal Sciences of the Ministry of Finance, China, and a master’s degree in economics from the Capital University of Economics and Business.

Assoc. Prof. Zekeriya Demir became a member of the IFAC Professional Accountants in Business (PAIB) Advisory Group in January 2025. He was nominated by the Union of Chambers of Certified Public Accountants Turkey (TURMOB).

Mr. Demir started his career in 1996 as an Auditor at Sahra YMM, a CPA company. He served as Internal Auditor and Shipping Operations General Manager at Gürsoy Group Companies between 2000-2006. He worked as the Financial Affairs Director at Türker Group of Companies between 2006-2007. Appointed by the TMSF (SDIF), he also served as a Member of the Supervisory Board at Nergis Holding and its affiliated companies between 2005-2008.

Mr. Demir worked as an Assistant Professor and Deputy Dean at Kırklareli University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences, Department of Business Administration between 2009-2015. He worked as the Financial Affairs Manager at STM Defence Technologies Engineering and Trade Inc., an affiliate of Undersecretariat of Defence Industries in 2015 – 2016. In August 2016, Mr. Demir was appointed as the SVP of Accounting and Financial Control department. As of April 2022, he has been appointed as Chief Financial Officer of Turkish Technic.

Mr. Demir, who is a Certified Public Accountant and Independent Auditor, served as a Board Member of the Istanbul Chamber of Certified Public Accountants between 2013 and 2016. 

Having graduated from Anadolu University, Faculty of Economics and Administrative Sciences - Department of Economics in 1992, Demir completed his Masters in Economics in 1995 and his PhD in Economics in 2004 at Marmara University. In 2023, he received the title of Associate Professor in the Field of Accounting Science. Continuing his academic studies, Demir has been publishing papers presented in national and international congresses and articles released in various journals.