It is my pleasure to be here today at this important initiative of ESMA. It brings together international and European leaders responsible for standard setting, supervision and enforcement for today’s capital markets.
The International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) is a global independent standard-setting body. It serves the public interest by setting high-quality standards for auditing, review, other assurance, quality control, and related services. Through its standards, the IAASB seeks to enhance the quality and consistency of practice throughout the world and strengthen public confidence in the auditing and assurance profession at the global and local levels.
I was appointed IAASB Chairman in 2009, when work to establish the clarified International Standards on Auditing (clarified ISAs) was just completed. Many had thought the IAASB program would be much more subdued than it had been. Of course, that has not been the case.