The global membership of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) grew by around 9,000 last year, making 2008 the highest year of growth for the last five years, it was announced today. The figures maintain ACCA’s status as the fastest-growing global professional accountancy body, with members in 170 countries.
ACCA now has a total of 131,500 members, which represents a 7.3% increase on the 2007 figures. ACCA also has 362,000 students, 12.1% more than in 2007.
Helen Brand, ACCA Chief Executive, said: “While 2008 was a good year in terms of growth for ACCA, we were focused on the global economic conditions and worked to ensure members, students and the public were well informed about the issues. As well as producing reports and discussion documents on the causes of the economic situation, we also launched a new micro site called The Global Economy www.accaglobal.com/economy. Thisprovides access to a range of relevant resources, including ACCA’s technical thought leadership on the global economic conditions, and a range of useful support services.
“ACCA remains committed to the many countries in which it has an active presence, with a view to the long term. We believe that the skills of accountants are vital to restoring confidence in the global economy, helping business to identify and manage drivers of cost and sustainable growth. Many of the countries we have been present in are on course to become significant players in the global economy in future years. We were especially proud in 2008 to be able to celebrate 20 years in China, as a partner to the accountancy profession as it has transformed itself to be an international force.
“In the current economic climate, ACCA also needs to support its members and students and to ensure that is delivering the best possible level of service. In my first few months as ACCA’s Chief Executive, I have introduced a programme to ensure that ACCA is fit for the future, with a priority on ensuring the organisation offers high-quality customer service through effective and efficient global delivery.”
