In the wake of unprecedented economic disruption due to the COVID-19 pandemic, many companies are rethinking their fundamentals and assessing how their corporate purpose, strategy and business model will drive long-term success. To support businesses in this uncertain environment, the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC), and the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the unified voice of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA)) today released new guidance for Chief Financial Officers (CFOs) and finance teams to navigate their organizations toward long-term value creation.
“COVID-19 is the greatest threat to value creation we’ve seen in generations. As a result, many companies are juggling a handful of pressing priorities, including protecting cash flows, ensuring long-term value creation, and delivering positive societal impacts,” said IFAC CEO Kevin Dancey. “The CFO and finance function can partner with management to overcome the challenges associated with understanding and driving long-term value creation.”
The report contains actionable insights for CFOs, finance teams, and other business leaders to sharpen their perspective on value creation beyond the financials, including how to:
- Understand the value creation process
- Identify principal opportunities and risks related to the organization’s strategy and business model
- Develop an integrated view of performance and value, incorporating balance sheet, business, and societal perspectives; and
- Drive priorities for value creation into decision making and reporting.
The approach outlined in this report helps CFOs and finance teams to think about how to ensure that all relevant information around performance, opportunities, risks, and trade-offs are available to internal decision-makers, investors, and other capital providers. It also enables the corporate mindset to evolve from shareholder value creation to a longer-term stakeholder value creation perspective.
“With an estimated 80 percent of enterprise value now made up of non-financial assets such as brand recognition, human capital and customer satisfaction, organizations that understand how to create and deliver value will be better positioned to achieve sustainable success,” said Barry Melancon, CPA, CGMA and CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants. “Accounting and finance professionals are uniquely positioned to bring together the insights and data needed by management teams to inform a value creation agenda, which is particularly important during this time of uncertainty.”
“Business leaders are under growing pressure to marry profit with purpose. A value creation agenda delivers exactly this,” said Charles Tilley, CEO of the IIRC. “Building on the International Integrated Reporting Framework, this new report will guide CFOs to better understand, measure, and report on value creation and impact. The result is comprehensive measurement based on a company’s value drivers that can be used to steer long-term sustainable development.”
About IFAC
The International Federation of Accountants (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 more than 3 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.
About IIRC
The International Integrated Reporting Council (IIRC) is a global coalition of regulators, investors, companies, standard setters, the accounting profession, academia and NGOs. The coalition promotes communication about value creation as the next step in the evolution of corporate reporting. The IIRC’s vision is to align capital allocation and corporate behaviour to wider goals of financial stability and sustainable development through the cycle of integrated reporting and thinking. Visit: www.integratedreporting.org
About the Association for International Certified Professional Accountants
The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the Association) is the most influential body of professional accountants, combining the strengths of the American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA) to power trust, opportunity and prosperity for people, businesses and economies worldwide. It represents 650,000 members and students across 179 countries and territories in public and management accounting, and advocates for the public interest and business sustainability on current and emerging issues. With broad reach, rigor and resources, the Association advances the reputation, employability and quality of CPAs, CGMAs and accounting and finance professionals globally.