30 November 2023 — News
After 18 years providing leadership and vision to Accountancy Europe, Olivier Boutellis-Taft has announced that he would not renew his contract as CEO and will step down at the end of 2024. With the upcoming elections, Europe will soon have a new Parliament and Commission. “I thought this new policy cycle was the best time for a leadership transition at Accountancy Europe in the interest of the association” noted Olivier.
Mark Vaessen, Accountancy Europe President commented:
“With his vision, passion and leadership, Olivier has been a genuine agent of change for the European profession at large and Accountancy Europe as an organisation. He is widely respected in Europe and on the international stage. I am very pleased to still have the opportunity to work closely with Olivier until the end of next year to deliver on our strategic priorities to support a just and sustainable transition, advance the corporate reporting eco-system and shape the entire profession’s future and attractiveness. In the meantime, we are starting the search for a high calibre leader to continue advancing Accountancy Europe at the end of Olivier’s term. We have asked the executive search firm Mavence to assist us in this process”.
Olivier Boutellis-Taft said:
“Accountancy Europe has delivered consistently through times of great transformation and challenges, thanks to the support of its Member Bodies and an outstanding team of highly committed and knowledgeable professionals. I would like already to thank them wholeheartedly. We’ve even made the job fun! I will surely miss my colleagues and their fantastic drive. I am fully confident the Board and its hiring committee will make the best choice to support them. Our public interest-centred strategy has borne fruits, fostering the relevance and reputation of the profession in its largest sense, including SMPs. I trust Accountancy Europe, with its talented team, excellent standing as the voice of the profession and a healthy financial position, is in a good place to address future challenges.”
Moving forward, Olivier will dedicate most of his time to North Star Transition, an organisation he co-created with Jyoti Banerjee to respond to our climate, biodiversity and social crises by collaboratively “re-imagineering” and delivering multi-stakeholder solutions to accelerate system change. He added “No purpose is more important than becoming sustainable. It is also a field where I remain convinced the accountancy profession has a key role to play. In addition, I will also remain involved in Brussels providing facilitation, strategy and governance-related services.”
