Prof. Linda de Beer has been approved as the chair of the Consultative Advisory Group (CAG) to the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) by the Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB)* on the recommendation of the members of the IAASB CAG**. The approval of Prof. de Beer extends her leadership, the first term of which commenced on October 1, 2010, for an additional 18-month period that will end on March 31, 2015.
The IAASB CAG is an independent body of 32 key stakeholders of the IAASB—including regulators, preparers, international investor and user groups, and others with an interest in international auditing and assurance—that provides strategic and technical advice in the public interest to the IAASB. The chair of the CAG plays a key role to ensure that the views of the CAG are heard and considered in the IAASB’s deliberations. The IAASB is an independent standard-setting board that establishes International Standards on Auditing (ISAs) and other pronouncements for use by professional accountants around the world. The PIOB oversees the activities of the IAASB and of the CAG.
Prof. de Beer, who, before her election as chair represented the World Federation of Exchanges on the CAG, is an independent director on a number of listed company boards in South Africa and an advisor on reporting and corporate governance matters, inter alia, the Johannesburg Stock Exchange (JSE). She is also a visiting professor in Audit and Accounting at the University of the Witwatersrand in Johannesburg, and a member of the King Committee on Corporate Governance and a number of South African standard-setting structures. She was also recently appointed as chairman of the Financial Reporting Investigations Panel.
“I am humbled and honored to be re-elected into this position by my CAG colleagues. The esteemed CAG Member Organizations and their Representatives bring a broad range of skills and experiences from across sectors and jurisdictions to the table in informing the work of the IAASB and serving the interest of the public at large. The CAG plays a vital role in ensuring that recipients of assurance services—including preparers and users of financial information as well as regulators—have an appropriate voice in the process of setting standards,” said Prof. de Beer. “In the past three years I have represented the CAG at the IAASB meetings, I have seen remarkable progress, under Arnold’s leadership, in the honest and serious attention that is given to the views of non-auditor stakeholders in the setting of standards for auditors. As a result, significant strides have been made in enhancing the value of an audit, the legitimacy of the auditing profession and thus in serving the public interest.”
Commenting on Prof. de Beer's re-appointment, Prof. Arnold Schilder, chairman of the IAASB, said, “Linda brings a wealth of experience to her leadership role on the IAASB CAG. Her experiences, in South Africa and globally, give her valuable insight, and we are very pleased to be able to continue to work with her. ”
About the IAASB
The IAASB develops auditing and assurance standards and guidance for use by all professional accountants under a shared standard-setting process involving the Public Interest Oversight Board, which oversees the activities of the IAASB, and the IAASB Consultative Advisory Group, which provides public interest input into the development of the standards and guidance. The structures and processes that support the operations of the IAASB are facilitated by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
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 173 members and associates in 129 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.
* The Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB)
Established in 2005 as the oversight board for the global accountancy profession, the PIOB oversees IFAC's public interest activities with the objective of increasing the confidence of investors and others that such activities, including the setting of standards, are properly responsive to the public interest. The PIOB oversees the activities of the IAASB and of the CAG and, as one element of this oversight, establishes the criteria for their due processes and working procedures. PIOB members are nominated by international institutions and regulatory bodies.
** IAASB CAG Members
- Asian Financial Executives Institutes
- Associação Brasileira de Instituições Financeiras de Desenvolvimento
- Basel Committee on Banking Supervision
- BUSINESSEUROPE
- CFA Institute
- European Commission
- European Federation of Accountants and Auditors for SMEs
- European Financial Executives Institutes
- Fédération des Experts Comptables Européens
- Gulf States Regulatory Authorities
- Information Systems Audit and Control Association
- Institute of Internal Auditors
- International Accounting Standards Board
- International Actuarial Association
- International Association of Insurance Supervisors
- International Bar Association
- International Corporate Governance Network
- International Organization of Securities Commissions
- International Organization of Supreme Audit Institutions
- International Valuation Standards Council
- Islamic Financial Services Board
- Japan Securities Dealers Association
- National Association of State Boards of Accountancy
- North American Financial Executives Institutes
- Organisation for Economic Cooperation and Development
- Sri Lanka Accounting and Auditing Standards Monitoring Board
- United Nations Conference on Trade & Development
- World Bank
- World Federation of Exchanges
IAASB CAG Observers
- Financial Services Agency, Japan
- International Monetary Fund
- US Public Company Accounting Oversight Board
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