Lee White

Lee White, FCA became IFAC's Chief Executive Officer in March 2024. IFAC is the global organization for the accountancy profession, comprising 180 member and associate organizations in 135 jurisdictions, representing millions of professional accountants.

Lee is a professional accountant and a member of ACCA and Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ). During his career, he has worked as an assurance practitioner in both the private (PWC) and public sectors (Auditor-General of NSW), a securities and audit inspector regulator, leader of a professional accounting body, and as a leader of an international public interest organization supporting both global financial reporting and sustainability standards.  He has predominately been dedicated in his career to serving the public interest.

He served the IFRS Foundation from 2018 to 2024, as the Managing Director and during his tenure there was the transformational creation of the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB) within the IFRS Foundation, and the launch of the ISSB’s first two sustainability standards in June 2023.

Before joining the IFRS Foundation, Lee spent nine years leading Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand or its predecessor body, including six years as its inaugural Chief Executive Officer  (2012-2017). CAANZ was created from the unique combination of chartered accounting institutes in Australia and New Zealand which Lee fulfilled a pivotal role in securing successful member votes (super majorities) in both countries. He also worked as the Chief Accountant at the Australian Securities and Investments Commission for six years, during which time he represented Australia at the International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO) and was directly involved in the creation and initial years of operation of the International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators (IFIAR).

Lee is a proud graduate of Executive Leadership from INSEAD.