12 November 2010
Professor Wim A. Van der Stede was one of four panellists at the opening plenary session of the World Congress of Accountants 2010, entitled Accountants: Sustaining Value Creation in the Borderless Economy.
China's Ministry of Finance vice minister Dr Wang Jun, who provided a regulator's perspective on the panel, said the global accountancy profession should play a more active role in driving economic recovery and growth. Malaysia's sovereign fund Khazanah Nasional Bhd managing director Tan Sri Azman Mokhtar, who provided an investor's perspective, highlighted three key points – trust, relevance and leadership – to enable accountants to create value sustainably in their organizations. London School of Economics CIMA professor of accounting and financial management Wim A. Van der Stede, who provided an academic perspective, said that according to a global survey by CIMA, momentum towards greater responsibility was likely to continue for accountants the world over although the degree might differ geographically, posing unique challenges as companies gained global prominence while largely following their own rules and customs of governance, bringing into question whether there are universal "best practices" that should be adopted by corporations even with similar economic aspirations. AICPA certified public accountant Olivia Faulkner Kirtley, who provided a board's perspective, said it was key to embed sustainability into the DNA of a company. The session was chaired by IFAC president Robert Bunting and was followed by a press conference.
Above: Professor Wim Van der Stede pictured (far left) at the World Congress.