IFRS Foundation appoints new Trustees with broad international experience

The IFRS Foundation has today announced the appointments of three new Trustees and the re-appointment for a second term of Trustees Jorge Familiar and Keiko Tashiro.

The newly appointed IFRS Foundation Trustees bring skills and expertise from Africa, Asia and the Middle East, including investor and sustainability experience. The appointments broaden the geographic diversity and professional expertise of the Trustees as a group.

The Trustees are responsible for the strategy, governance and oversight of the Foundation, including the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and the International Sustainability Standards Board (ISSB).

Sheila Alrowaily is CEO of Wisayah Investment Management Company, a subsidiary of Saudi Aramco that is responsible for managing the company’s pension funds. With deep experience in investment management, she strengthens the investor perspective Trustees already represent. Ms Alrowaily, who joined Aramco in 1998, led the creation of Wisayah and has been CEO since 2019. During her tenure with Aramco, she has had roles in finance, trading and investment and risk management. Ms Alrowaily also is a board member of the Saudi Central Bank, Hassana Investment Company, Saudi Aramco Energy Ventures and Wisayah Management Investment Company. She is also a member of the NEOM Investment and Finance Committee and serves as private sector Chair representing Saudia Arabia in the G20 Alliance for the Empowerment of Women’s Economic Representation (G20 EMPOWER).

Shixin Chen brings a wealth of expertise in fiscal policy and experience with regional and multinational development banks. As Vice President of the Asian Development Bank (ADB), he oversaw operations in the South, Central and West Asia regions for five years, ensuring the bank’s alignment with strategic goals, including the Paris Agreement. Before joining the ADB, Dr Chen held senior positions at the Chinese Ministry of Finance, overseeing public finance and partnerships with multilateral development banks. Dr Chen has held director roles for more than a decade, including as Board Director for China in the Asian Infrastructure Investment Bank (AIIB), Board Director for the New Development Bank and Executive Director for China in the World Bank Group (WBG), where he played a key role in approving WBG’s first Climate Change Action Plan and served as Vice-Chair of the Audit Committee.

Assietou Diouf is a global finance leader who brings to the Trustees diverse experience in public and private organisations throughout Europe, Africa and the Middle East. Currently, she is the inaugural Chief Executive Officer of VaxSen, a wholly owned subsidiary of Institut Pasteur of Dakar, leading the commercialisation of vaccines across Africa and globally. Previously, Ms Diouf was Chief Financial Officer at Gavi, a vaccine alliance, where she ensured strong financial stewardship, collaborated with UN agencies and multinational development banks and chaired Gavi’s Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Committee. Before joining Gavi, Ms Diouf was Director of Programming, Budgeting, Finance and Accounting at the African Union and held leadership roles at several international and pan-African banks. She serves on the Steering Committee for International Financial Reporting for Non-profit Organizations (IFR4NPO).

Ms Alrowaily, Dr Chen and Ms Diouf succeed Sarah Al Suhaimi, Wencai Zhang and Suresh Kana, respectively, who stepped down at the end of 2024. Teresa Ko also stepped down at the end of 2024; recruitment for her position is in progress.

The Trustees are pleased to confirm the re-appointment of Jorge Familiar and Keiko Tashiro, who will continue to share their experience and expertise.

Erkki Liikanen, Chair of the Trustees, said:

I am pleased to welcome Sheila Alrowaily, Shixin Chen and Assietou Diouf to the Trustees of the IFRS Foundation. They bring new and diverse perspectives, broad international experience and essential accounting and sustainability expertise—all of which will enhance our strategic decision-making. I would like to thank Suresh Kana, Teresa Ko, Sarah Al Suhaimi and Wencai Zhang for their contributions during a transformative time at the IFRS Foundation.

All appointments and re-appointments are for a three-year period, effective immediately; they have been approved by the IFRS Foundation Monitoring Board, which provides a formal link between the Trustees and public authorities.