Bridging the Expectation Gap: Changing Dimensions of an Accountant

Introduction
Good morning. I would like to thank you for inviting me to speak on this wonderful occasion, and to say how very pleased I am to be here today.

As you may know, the ICAI was one of the founding member bodies of the International Federation of Accountants, IFAC, and has always been one of our key members. So it is even more gratifying to offer my personal congratulations on ICAI's Diamond Jubilee.

I also bring greetings and congratulations from IFAC's President, Bob Bunting, and Chief Executive, Ian Ball, who cannot be here today.

I'm here to look ahead this morning, and speak to you about the changing dimensions of the accountant's role. In other words, I will speak about what is expected of our profession today and tomorrow, and how we can better live up to those expectations.

In the course of my remarks, I will tell you about a few things that the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the standard-setting Boards that operate its auspices are doing to help professional accountants keep the public interest in mind as they function as accountants and auditors.