Barry Melancon
Barry Melancon announced his plan to retire on Dec. 31, 2024, from his roles as CEO of the Association of International Certified Professional Accountants (the association) and president and CEO of the AICPA.
Melancon has served in these capacities for three decades, guiding the world’s largest accounting membership body of public and management accountants. The search for his successor is underway, with an announcement expected before year’s end.
Melancon commented, “It has been my greatest honor to serve this dynamic, service-driven profession. Over my tenure, I have been committed to helping the profession grow, serve the public interest, seize new opportunities, innovate and expand the value it offers society. Today we have a profession evolving at speed to meet the needs of markets and fulfill the role of trusted strategic advisor.”
Reflecting on his career, Melancon said, “We have accomplished a lot, thanks to the incredible staff and volunteers I’ve worked with over the past 30 years. Their leadership and passion, combined with the impact of tens of thousands of member volunteers, will continue to drive the profession and organization forward.”
Outgoing AICPA chair and chair of the association Okorie Ramsey remarked, “Throughout his career, Barry has been a passionate advocate for the profession, promoting its role in serving the public interest to policymakers and regulators. We are grateful for his contributions and wish him well in his retirement.”
Sarah Ghosh, president and co-chair of the association, added, “Barry has kept the profession ahead in dealing with future challenges and seizing opportunities. Under his leadership, we have increased accessibility to the profession through various learning pathways, such as the CGMA finance leadership program. We owe him a debt of gratitude for his lifelong commitment and service to the profession.”
Melancon joined as CEO of AICPA in 1995 at age 37, making him the youngest CEO of the organization in its history, and served as the longest serving CEO since its formation in 1887. He became CEO of the association in 2017, after successfully bringing together the largest accounting bodies, AICPA and CIMA, to serve the public and management accounting profession worldwide. His professional career started as a practicing CPA in Louisiana, becoming a CPA firm partner at 25 years old, before leading the Society of Louisiana CPAs and being appointed CEO of AICPA.
The board of the association is working with Korn Ferry, the largest global executive search firm, to identify his successor. Details of the global search and appointment criteria can be found here.
