The Institute of Public Accountants (IPA) is set to celebrate its 100th birthday, marking a century since its founding as the Institute of Factory and Cost Accountants.
IPA group chief executive Andrew Conway said the organisation’s centenary is a chance to reflect on achievements, look forward with optimism and emphasise its commitment to members.
“Our centenary provides us with an opportunity to celebrate the successes of our organisation and to look to the future with great optimism. Our repositioning to the Institute of Public Accountants and developing the IPA Group has been the culmination of the previous century,” Conway commented on the body’s website.
“Our organisation is now more recognised, more respected and we speak with the voices of more than 50,000 members and students. Put simply, we have impact and we are proud of our collective achievements.
“As we look to the next century, we have so many exciting opportunities, such as sustainability reporting, technological transformation and building new and exciting educational pathways into our profession. We will continue to advocate for a better deal for small business and we will never lose sight of our core: people.”
Established in 1923 in Melbourne with less than 100 members initially based in Australia, the IPA now encompasses over 49,000 members and students across 100 countries.
In 2002, the organisation gained the authority to assess skilled migration in Australia and in 2004, the National Institute of Accountants, as it was then known, became a member of the International Federation of Accountants.
After undergoing several name changes and rebranding efforts, the professional accounting body adopted its current name in 2011 and went on to acquire the United Kingdom’s Institute of Financial Accountants in 2015, forming the IPA Group.
The IPA will mark its 100th birthday with a centenary gala dinner on 17 August at the Plaza Ballroom in Melbourne.