The International Federation of Accountants^® (IFAC^®), the global organization for the accountancy profession with members and associates in 130 countries, presented its Sempier Award to Ndung’u Gathinji of Kenya, during the World Congress of Accountants (WCOA) Closing Ceremony in Rome, Italy. Presented by IFAC President Olivia Kirtley, the award recognizes outstanding contributions to the accountancy profession by an individual over of a period of many years.

“Mr. Gathinji has worked tirelessly to promote the accountancy profession in Kenya and Africa,” Ms. Kirtley said. “His pioneering efforts to launch the Pan African Federation of Accountants, Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya, and the former Eastern, Central, and Southern African Federation of Accountants have ensured that the value of the profession has been understood and embraced in Africa in a way that would have been otherwise impossible. Mr. Gathinji is a recognized leader in and passionate activist for the profession and I am both honored and delighted to present him with this award.”

Mr. Gathinji served IFAC for 23 years in many different capacities. He instilled in IFAC, the donor community, and other stakeholders, the principle of working together to support the growth of PAOs in developing and emerging markets. As a chair of the Developing Nations Task Force, his commitment to the importance of accountancy and PAOs in emerging and developing economies helped to ensure continued global attention and the establishment of the permanent Developing Nations Committee (now the PAO Development Committee), which he chaired. Mr. Gathinji also served as a member of the IFAC Board and a member of the Nominating Committee.

In addition, Mr. Gathinji helped establish the African Federation of Stock Exchanges Association in 1993 and has served as its Honorable Secretary since. He was a member of the Standards Advisory Council of the International Accounting Standards Committee and an observer representing Africa at the United Nations Conference on Trade and Development’s Intergovernmental Working Group of Experts on International Standards of Accounting and Reporting. Mr. Gathinji is the Chairman of Drummond Investment Bank Limited and a former Chairman of the Nairobi Securities Exchange Ltd.

About the IFAC Robert Sempier Award
The IFAC Robert Sempier Award was created by the IFAC Council in 1991 to honor the contributions of Robert Sempier, IFAC’s first executive director. It is intended to recognize outstanding contributions to the accountancy profession by an individual over a period of many years, and is presented at the World Congress of Accountants, now held every four years. Previous award recipients have been Bob Sempier (1992), Gordon H. Cowperthwaite (1997), Sir Bryan Carsberg (2002), Marilyn Pendergast (2006), and Robert Mednick (2010).

About the World Congress of Accountants (WCOA)
Sponsored by of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), the WCOA is the foremost international event for the profession, bringing together thousands of delegates from around the world to discuss, share, and debate ideas and global solutions to the issues affecting the profession in the interest of the world’s citizens, investors and businesses. It has been held every five years since 1977 and every four years since 2002, and attended by professionals and prominent business leaders, including professional accountants, international regulators, standard setters, government officials, and corporate leaders.

WCOA 2014, hosted by the Consiglio Nazionale dei Dottori Commercialisti e degli Esperti Contabili (CNDCEC), takes place November 10-13 in Rome’s Auditorium Parco della Musica. The theme—2020 Vision: Learning from the Past, Building the Future—explores the pivotal role of accounting amid rapid economic, political, and social change. The Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA) designation is the imperial sponsor.

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. Founded in 1977, it is comprised of over 175 members and associates in 130 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.