The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) extends its sincere thanks to David Isherwood, Ethics Partner at BDO UK, for his outstanding leadership and service to the Forum of Firms (FoF, Forum) and the global profession. David has chaired the FoF since November 2017.

We also warmly welcome Fiona Campbell from Ernst & Young Global Limited as the new Chair of the FoF, effective July 23, 2025. Fiona is an EY partner based in Melbourne, Australia.

Lee White, Chief Executive Officer of IFAC, said: “David’s thoughtful and proactive leadership has left a lasting impact. In particular, he has driven the Forum of Firms and its mission forward, so that the profession continues to meet the highest standards of integrity and quality. His commitment to the practical implementation of global standards, in the public interest, and to fostering collaboration across the profession has been truly appreciated. We thank David for his invaluable work and contributions, including his prominent and active role in the joint IFAC-IESBA Summit, and wish him all the best in his future endeavors.”

Mr. White continued: "I’ve also had the great pleasure of working with Fiona in multiple roles, and I know she brings exceptional judgment, professionalism, and an unwavering commitment to audit quality and the public interest. Her service to our profession as a former Board Member of the IAASB, including as Deputy Chair, and her ongoing leadership at EY, position her well to guide the Forum at this critical moment for the profession, as the global accountancy community navigates a fast-changing environment."

Fiona’s passion for audit, her global perspective, and her focus on quality and collaboration will serve the FoF well as it continues to advance key priorities—from audit quality and sustainability to regulatory alignment and global trust.

“The Forum of Firms was established in 2002 and has since been a unique and highly valued partner to IFAC. I remain committed to engaging with this very important Forum—working together to innovate and deliver sustained value to the global accountancy profession,” Mr. White concluded.

About IFAC

IFAC, by connecting and uniting its members, makes the accountancy profession truly global.

IFAC member organizations are champions of integrity and professional quality, and proudly carry their membership as a badge of international recognition.

IFAC and its members work together to shape the future of the profession through learning, innovation, a collective voice, and commitment to the public interest.

The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) has released a new non-authoritative publication—How the IAASB’s Revised Going Concern and Fraud Standards Reinforce Professional Skepticism—to assist stakeholders in understanding how the revisions to ISA 570 (Revised 2024) and ISA 240 (Revised) strengthen the consistent application of professional skepticism throughout the audit.

This publication, developed with input from the IAASB’s Professional Skepticism Consultation Group, highlights key enhancements to both standards reflecting the IAASB’s efforts to reinforce professional skepticism by addressing, among other matters, how auditors are expected to maintain a questioning mindset, consider contradictory evidence, and appropriately challenge management assumptions.

The revised standards are effective for audits of financial statements for periods beginning on or after December 15, 2026.

This non-authoritative publication is intended to assist in the adoption and implementation of the recently issued ISA 570 (Revised 2024) on going concern and ISA 240 (Revised) on fraud by highlighting the IAASB’s efforts to reinforce professional skepticism within the revisions of both standards.

In IESBA's first "Message from the Chair", IESBA Chair Gabriela Figueiredo Dias discusses the key points of the March 2025 IESBA Meeting in New York City.

IESBA Vice Chair Channa Wijesinghe on the IESBA's Firm Culture & Governance Project

IESBA Director Linda Biek discusses whether revisions to the International Code of Ethics for Professional AccountantsTM (including International Independence StandardsTM) (the “Code”) are necessary to address the independence of auditors when they carry out audits of Collective Investment Vehicles (CIVs) and Pension Funds (collectively referred to as “Investment Schemes” or “Schemes”).

IESBA Program and Senior Director Ken Siong discusses a recent shift in how the IESBA develops its international ethics and independence standards: the Staff Driven Model. Learn how the IESBA is moving from board-led task forces to empowered staff-led project teams, why this change aligns with global regulatory reforms, and how the model is already being piloted with promising results.

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) has released Firm Culture and Governance: Summary of Feedback from Global Roundtables, a publication that captures stakeholder perspectives from six global roundtables held earlier this year as part of the Board’s Firm Culture and Governance (FCG) project.

Held in New York, Melbourne, Brussels, and Kuala Lumpur, with virtual sessions for Africa and Latin America, the roundtables brought together 168 participants from across the global regulatory, investor, standard setting, accounting firm, professional accountancy and academic communities. Discussions centered on eight core elements of an ethical firm culture: ethical leadership, oversight and governance, provision of independent input, accountability, incentives and rewards, open discussion and challenge, continuous education and training, and transparency about ethical performance.

These roundtables formed part of the IESBA’s ongoing efforts to ensure its decision-making is informed by a balanced and broad-based representation of all relevant stakeholders, in line with its mandate to serve the public interest by setting global ethics, including independence, standards for the accounting profession. The publication of this report reflects the IESBA’s strong commitment to transparency and responsiveness to stakeholder feedback – both of which are essential to fostering trust among all parties involved in the development of the highest ethics standards for the profession.

The insights gathered through these discussions have directly contributed to the IESBA’s recent decision to remain firmly committed to taking decisive steps to address the cultural and governance dimensions within accounting firms, recognizing their critical impact on ethical behavior. These insights will also shape the IESBA’s future work, referenced in a recent IESBA communication on the topic, including:

• the development of a series of IESBA Viewpoints addressing eight key elements to a Firm Culture and Governance Framework, such as ethical leadership, accountability, and incentives and rewards;
• the preparation of a comprehensive plan, to be launched in 2026, for practical guidance and other initiatives to help firms foster an ethical culture and embed values that sustain long-term public trust in them; and
• the decision to consider, by mid-2026, the appropriate approach to developing a Firm Culture and Governance Framework, aimed at guiding firms in strengthening their ethical culture and related governance practices.

To read the publication, visit: Firm Culture & Governance - IESBA Summary of Feedback from Global Roundtables | Ethics Board
 

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About IESBA

The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global standard-setting board. The IESBA’s mission is to serve the public interest by setting high-quality, international ethics (including independence) standards as a cornerstone to ethical behavior in business and organizations, and to public trust in financial and non-financial information that is fundamental to the proper functioning and sustainability of organizations, financial markets and economies worldwide.

Along with the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the IESBA is part of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA). The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB) oversees IESBA and IAASB activities and the public interest responsiveness of the standards.

The Firm Culture and Governance: Summary of Feedback from Global Roundtables publication captures stakeholder perspectives from six global roundtables held in 2025 as part of the Board’s Firm Culture and Governance (FCG) project.