Raef Lawson is Vice President-Research and Policy and Professor-in-Residence for the Institute of Management Accountants (IMA), where he leads global thought leadership efforts and oversees student and academic relations programs.  He is also chair of the IMA-AAA Management Accounting Section’s Curriculum Task Force. He previously served on the International Accounting Education Standards Board.

He received his MBA and Ph.D. degrees from the Leonard N. Stern School of Business, New York University.  He holds a variety of professional certifications including CMA, CFA, CPA, and ACMA. 

Prior to joining IMA, Dr. Lawson was a professor and Chair of the Department of Accounting and Law at the State University of New York (SUNY) at Albany.  He has also held senior leadership experience in diverse settings, including academia, practice, and professional associations.

Dr. Lawson has published several books and over 70 articles in the areas of sustainability, business ethics, performance scorecards, activity based costing, international cost management practices, and cost and performance management systems in journals including The Accounting Review, Cost Management, Journal of Business Ethics, and Journal of Business, Finance, and Accounting.

Mr. Greg Owens was nominated by BDO LLP to serve on the International Panel on Accountancy Education (IPAE) in 2019 and re-appointed in 2021.

Prior to serving on the IPAE, Greg was a member of the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) (2014-2019) having previously served as a technical advisor (2008-2014). During this time, Greg served on a number of working groups, task forces, the steering committee and was Deputy Chair in 2019.

Greg is currently a Director in BDO's Global Assurance Department where has helped to develop and support his network's technology, methodology and learning resources for use by BDO firms. Since 2000, Greg has also trained or presented in over 35 countries and has represented his firm in a number of educational working groups (such as the ICAEW's Assessment Committee and Syllabus/Curriculum groups) as well as cross-firm/employer working groups (such as the UK's apprenticeship qualification). Greg has experience in auditing financial services, manufacturing, and hospitality clients, providing audit methodology support to engagement teams, performing file reviews and liaising with audit regulators.

Mr. Owens is a politics & economics graduate who qualified as a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW) in 2000 and became a Fellow Chartered Accountant in 2010.

While presenting the The Economist 2014 CFO Summit, IFAC CEO Fayez Choudhury spoke with Lianna Brinded of the International Business Times on the evolving role of chief financial officers.

The objective of the Innovation Working Group (Formerly Innovation, Needs and Future Opportunities (INFO) Working Group) is to explore emerging developments in the audit, assurance and related services fields for the purpose of assisting the IAASB in identifying opportunities for relevant and effective standard setting, or determining other potential actions, in a timely and informed manner.

The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the global organization for the accountancy profession, today announced the launch of the Global Knowledge Gateway, a platform designed to bring together news, views, resources, and thought leadership for the worldwide accountancy profession. The Gateway showcases key accountancy materials and provides a forum to explore thought-provoking issues, participate in discussions, and be part of the global community of accountants that IFAC represents.

“We recognized that there was no single hub that collates and shares industry insights, ideas, and information while connecting the worldwide community of accountants,” said Fayez Choudhury, CEO of IFAC. “We wanted to leverage our position as the global accountancy organization and create a venue that provides access to helpful resources, keeps users informed on accountancy issues and news, and encourages discussion and debate.”

With content ranging from developing areas of the profession to longstanding but continually evolving areas of accountancy, the Gateway initially focuses on the following topics: Ethics, Business Reporting, Finance Leadership & Development, Performance & Financial Management, Governance, Risk Management & Internal Control, and Sustainability. The breadth of topics is meant to serve the diverse sectors of accountancy, including IFAC member organizations, accountancy professionals, the regulatory community, and firms, as well as accounting students.

The Gateway includes six key components:

• Viewpoints—Leaders of the accountancy and business communities share their perspectives on the profession and other relevant hot topics.
• Accountancy News—Headlines from a variety of media outlets and online press rooms.
• Resources—Each topic features filterable resources from IFAC, member bodies, and other relevant organizations, with descriptions and links to original sources.
• Discussions—Topical questions and views inspire and encourage debate and conversation among the global accounting community.
• Topical News—Headlines within topic areas.
• Upcoming Events—Highlights of key events and conferences worldwide.

The inaugural Viewpoint, authored by Mr. Choudhury, highlights the importance of a shared, global resource for accountants. Reviewing the history and genesis of IFAC’s online offerings, it also invites users to provide feedback on the interface, content, and functionality.

Register on IFAC’s website in order to gain full access to the Gateway’s offerings. By registering, users can participate in discussions; suggest resources, news, discussion topics, and events; and stay up-to-date on a range of selected topics.

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. It is comprised of 179 members and associates in 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.