The International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) today announced the appointment of James Gunn as Managing Director, Professional Standards. Mr. Gunn’s appointment is effective at the end of June 2014, upon the retirement of Jim Sylph.

As Managing Director, Mr. Gunn will be a resource and key source of advice to the chairs of the independent standard-setting boards* and oversee the senior management of the boards. He will serve as a spokesperson for the boards and, with the boards’ chairs, establish and maintain relationships with key stakeholders. The position reports functionally to the chairs of the standards boards, and administratively to IFAC’s Chief Executive Officer (CEO). Mr. Gunn will also be the primary liaison between the independent standard-setting boards, the Monitoring Group, and the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB), as well as between the boards and IFAC.

“Having someone with James’ experience and knowledge in this role will continue to safeguard the independence of the standard-setting boards, while ensuring the continuation of a sound working relationship with the PIOB, IFAC, and other international groups,” said Fayez Choudhury, IFAC’s CEO. “In this position, James will contribute to the ongoing discussions with the Review Group developing proposals for the most appropriate oversight arrangements for the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board.”

Currently, Mr. Gunn is the Technical Director of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), a board he has served for over a decade. In this position, Mr. Gunn has managed and overseen the activities of the board and its staff, and played a pivotal role in representing the board, building relationships, and conducting outreach with international stakeholders in more than 35 countries around the world. Mr. Gunn’s career began in the early 1990s with KPMG in its Canadian audit practice, and included a term in its national office.

“I am honored to have been selected for this position. I look forward to the challenges and opportunities of maintaining and building the confidence of the regulatory community, the profession, and other stakeholders in the public interest work of the independent standard-setting boards,” commented Mr. Gunn.

Mr. Gunn was selected after an extensive global call for applications. The process of identifying Mr. Gunn’s replacement as IAASB Technical Director is underway.

* The independent standard-setting boards consist of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB), the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB), the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), and the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board (IPSASB). IFAC serves the public interest by contributing to the development of strong and sustainable organizations, markets, and economies. As part of its public interest mandate, IFAC contributes to the development of high-quality international standards by facilitating and resourcing these standard-setting boards.

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.