IFAC Announces Seminar to Address Lessons from the Sovereign Debt Crisis and Steps Needed for Reform

NEW YORK--(BUSINESS WIRE)--The International Federation of Accountants will host The Sovereign Debt Crisis, a Matter of Urgency―From Lessons to Reform, a seminar to take place March 19-20, 2012 in Vienna. In this seminar, IFAC will convene key decision makers, politicians and public finance management leaders to gain a comprehensive understanding of the causes contributing to the international sovereign debt crisis and the steps needed now for meaningful reform.

“We’re honored and gratified to have assembled such a distinguished group of speakers, to address the crucial lessons government leaders around the world must take from this crisis—and, just as importantly, the steps urgently needed to achieve lasting reform.”

The seminar’s speakers will include such influential financial and accounting leaders as Vincenzo La Via, Chief Financial Officer of the World Bank Group; Professor the Hon Stephen Martin, Chief Executive, Committee for Economic Development of Australia; Göran Persson, Former Prime Minister of Sweden; The Hon. Ruth Richardson, Former Finance Minister of New Zealand; and Hon. David Walker, Founder and CEO of the Comeback America Initiative and Former United States Comptroller General. Seminar attendees will have the opportunity to network with speakers and their fellow professionals. The complete speaker lineup for The Sovereign Debt Crisis, a Matter of Urgency—From Lessons to Reform is included below, or see the agenda and bios.

“The sovereign debt crisis is currently the most globally significant economic event, with a tremendously far-reaching impact,” said Ian Ball, CEO of IFAC. “We’re honored and gratified to have assembled such a distinguished group of speakers, to address the crucial lessons government leaders around the world must take from this crisis—and, just as importantly, the steps urgently needed to achieve lasting reform.”

The Sovereign Debt Crisis, a Matter of Urgency―From Lessons to Reform will take place March 19-20, 2012 at the Hilton Vienna. Event sponsors include CECCAR, Ernst & Young, PwC, and the World Bank.

Registration for the conference is open to the public. For more information about the conference and to register, visit http://sovereigndebt.ifac.org/.

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. IFAC is comprised of 167 members and associates in 127 countries and jurisdictions, representing approximately 2.5 million accountants in public practice, education, government service, industry, and commerce.

The speaker lineup for The Sovereign Debt Crisis, a Matter of Urgency—From Lessons to Reform is below, or see the agenda and bios:

Ian Ball, Chief Executive Officer, International Federation of Accountants
Andreas Bergmann, Chair, the International Public Sector Accounting Standards Board
Jón Blöndal, Head of Budgeting and Public Expenditures, Organization for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD)
Robert Dacey, Chief Accountant, the United States Government Accountability Office
Prof. Dr. Roger J.M. Dassen RA, Global Managing Director Clients, Services and Talent, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu Limited
John M. Herhalt, Global Chair, Government and Infrastructure, KPMG LLP
Ms. Belén Hernández, Public Accounting Directorate, Spain
Vincenzo La Via, Chief Financial Officer, World Bank Group
Bo Lundgren, Director General, Swedish National Debt Office
Professor the Hon Stephen Martin, Chief Executive, Committee for Economic Development of Australia
The Hon. Ruth Richardson, Former New Zealand Finance Minister
Göran Persson, Former Prime Minister of Sweden
Gerhard Steger, Director General Budget and Public Finance Ministry of Finance, Austria
Jan Sturesson, Leader Global Government and Public Services, PwC
Göran Tidström, President, International Federation of Accountants
James S. Turley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, Ernst & Young
Nicolas Véron, Senior Fellow, Bruegel–Brussels, Visiting Fellow, Peterson Institute for International Economics–Washington, D.C.
Hon. David M. Walker, Founder, President and CEO, Comeback America Initiative and Former Comptroller General of the U.S.
Fritz Zurbrügg, Director, Swiss Federal Finance Administration