Political candidates aren’t the only ones who know the pressures of campaigning and the thrill of victory.
Kenneth Henry (PhD 2008), clinical associate professor, School of Accounting, Florida International University (FIU), recently was elected as the first and only US-based member to serve on the board of directors for the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA).
“As one of 36 worldwide members of the ACCA’s governing body, he represents all ACCA members in 170 countries. However, it is significant that an FIU faculty member will represent the interests and issues of the United States and we are very proud of him,” said Ruth Ann McEwen, director of the School of Accounting.
Henry’s election journey began when the head of the ACCA-US member branch asked him to consider running. Despite significant time demands, he decided to try for the highest-placed job in the world in his profession. Over the next six months, he made strategic calls to Caribbean ACCAs in Jamaica, Trinidad, and the Bahamas, and traveled to Toronto, New York and California, meeting with as many of the roughly 3,000 US-based and 3,000 Canada-based ACCAs members as possible.
At the conclusion of the balloting period, he discovered that not only had he been elected, but also that he had won “by an amazing margin, having placed fifth on the list of 23 ACCAs around the world running for 14 open positions,” he said.
FIU plays role in success.
Describing the achievement as “humbling and somewhat overwhelming,” Henry feels his experiences as an FIU doctoral student and teacher contributed to his success because they “honed my ability to persuade and motivate others during spoken presentations.”
He also appreciates the support of McEwen and Joyce J. Elam, executive dean of the College of Business Administration, which will enable him to travel as needed during his three-year term.
ACCA is the global body for professional accountants. Founded in 1904, it now supports 140,000 members and 404,000 students across the globe, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, based on skills required by employers.
