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The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the voice of the global accountancy profession, announces the election of Alan Johnson as its President. Mr. Johnson will serve a two-year term through November 2022, serving previously as IFAC Deputy President since November 2018.

Mr. Johnson began his service with IFAC a decade ago when he joined the Professional Accountants in Business Committee. He was elected to the IFAC Board in 2015. Since 2018 he has chaired the IFAC Planning and Finance Committee, helped steer the development of IFAC’s new Strategic Plan, and represented IFAC in international forums and events.

“IFAC, working in the public interest, plays a critical role to support sustainable economic development and the development of international standards,” said Mr. Johnson. “Every year, IFAC provides expert guidance and advice to our member organizations and the millions of professional accountants they represent worldwide. I look forward to working with the IFAC Board, management, and membership organizations to continue delivering this support during a time of unprecedented challenges.”

A leading voice in accountancy, Mr. Johnson currently serves as the independent chair of the Internal Control Committee of Jerónimo Martins SGPS, S.A., a food retailer with operations in Portugal, Poland, and Colombia. He is also a member of the Board of Trustees at the International Valuation Standards Council, and chairs the board of Governors at the British School in Portugal. Previously he was chief financial officer of Jerónimo Martins and served on the company’s board. Mr. Johnson worked for Unilever for 35 years in various finance positions in Africa, Europe and Latin America, including chief financial officer of the company’s Global Foods businesses and the Group’s Chief Audit Executive. He has recently ended terms as Chair of ACCA's (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) Accountants for Business Global Forum and as a non-executive director of the UK’s Department for International Development where he chaired its Audit & Risk Assurance Committee.

Asmaa Resmouki Named Deputy President

IFAC also announced the election of Asmâa Resmouki as Deputy President.  Ms. Resmouki has served on the IFAC Board since 2018 and as Governance Committee Chair since 2019.  With over 28 years of experience in the profession, Ms. Resmouki was an audit partner at both Deloitte and EY in Morocco, and served as vice president and president of the Pan African Federation of Accountants.  She currently runs her own firm, Resmouki Consulting. 

New Board Members Elected

IFAC also announced new board members, maintaining a female-majority board for the second year in IFAC history. Over the course of the past decade, IFAC is proud to have improved the gender balance on its board and advisory groups.

The new and re-appointed IFAC Board members and their nominating member organizations are:

• Mr. Jean Bouquot (The Conseil Supérieur de l’Ordre des Experts-Comptables and the Compagnie Nationale des Commissaires aux Comptes, France)
• Mr. Kohei Kan (The Japanese Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Japan)
• Prof. Chiara Mio (Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili, Italy)
• Mr. Atul Gupta (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of India, India)
• Ms. Taryn Rulton (Chartered Accountants Australia & New Zealand, Australia); and
• Re-appointment of Mr. Yacoob Suttar (The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Pakistan, Pakistan)

New IFAC Member Organizations Admitted

In addition to the election of new leadership and Board members, the IFAC Council also approved new member and associate member organizations.

IFAC welcomes the following Associates as new IFAC Members:

• Pakistan Institute of Public Finance Accountants
• Institute of Certified Public Accountants Rwanda

In addition, two professional accountancy organizations have been approved to join IFAC as Associates:

• Myanmar Institute of Certified Public Accountants
• Institute of Chartered Secretaries and Administrators in Zimbabwe

The new appointments and membership decisions were approved at IFAC’s 2020 Council meeting, held virtually on November 11-12.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of more than 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

IFAC—the International Federation of Accountants—announced that Kevin Dancey will remain in his role as the organization’s Chief Executive Officer for a second term, which will begin June 1, 2021 and run through May 31, 2024.

Mr. Dancey, who has lead the organization since 2019, has provided critical guidance navigating issues and initiatives from the Monitoring Group, the Public Interest Oversight Board, the Global Public Policy Committee, and the independent standard-setting boards, while also managing external challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic.

“Kevin’s steadfast leadership on issues currently affecting the accountancy profession and IFAC’s membership has been invaluable,” said IFAC President Alan Johnson. “IFAC’s ability to serve as the voice of more than three million professional accountants worldwide is critical to the accountancy profession and the global financial architecture, and that voice is stronger with Kevin as CEO.”

Mr. Dancey ushered in a new era for IFAC in terms of advocacy, outreach, and engagement with global stakeholders. From the recent call to action for the creation of an International Sustainability Standards Setting Board, to the relationships with the OECD, G20 and others, Mr. Dancey has led IFAC into new and positive territory.

“It is an honor to continue my role as IFAC’s Chief Executive Officer,” said Mr. Dancey. “While I am pleased with what we’ve been able to accomplish in the short time I’ve been here, especially with the unprecedented challenges brought on by the COVID-19 pandemic, I know there is more we can do for professional accountants worldwide. I look forward to working alongside the Board and the IFAC staff to push our profession further.”

Mr. Dancey’s extension was announced at IFAC’s 2020 Council meeting, held virtually on November 11-12.

About IFAC
IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession dedicated to serving the public interest by strengthening the profession and contributing to the development of strong international economies. IFAC is comprised of more than 175 members and associates in more than 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing almost 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.