An IFAC Content Series
This month, we talked to two women in power, leading organizations that set the bar for professional accountants. In our conversations with Gabriela Figueiredo Dias, Co-CEO of IFEA and Chair of IESBA, and Maria Clara Bugarim, General Comptroller of the State of Alagoas in Brazil, we undercover their perspectives on effective leadership. With decades of experience steering organizations towards success, both women offer their perspectives on the future of the accountancy profession and how others can succeed in it.
Gabriela Figueiredo Dias
Gabriela Figueiredo Dias is the Chair of the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA). She also serves as the co-CEO of the International Foundation for Ethics and Audit (IFEA), the organization that houses IESBA and the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB). She became Chair of the IESBA on January 1, 2022 (appointed for an initial three-year term) and co-CEO of the IFEA in the beginning of 2023.
Maria Clara Bugarim
Maria Clara Bugarim is the General Comptroller of the State of Alagoas in Brazil and the former President of the Conselho Federal de Contabilidade. She has held leadership positions in government, academic and trade bodies. She holds three degrees (in Accounting, Administration, and Law) and two specializations (in Auditing and Administration in Human Resources.) She also has a master’s in Controllership and Accounting from the University of São Paulo, and has a PhD in Engineering and Knowledge Management from the Federal University of Santa Catarina.Often, her leadership roles have been in positions never before occupied by women.