CFOs and Finance Leaders: Global Ethics Rules Need Your Input
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The rules that govern how CFOs and senior finance leaders should behave ethically are under review, globally. And the body doing the reviewing wants to hear from you before 24 April 2026.
The Role of the IESBA
The International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA) is an independent global body responsible for setting international ethics standards for the accounting profession. Its flagship output, the IESBA Code of Ethics, sets the ethical baseline for professional accountants worldwide, including the standards that underpin CIBA's own code of conduct.
In recognition that the CFO role has shifted dramatically in recent years, driven by technological change, sustainability reporting requirements, geopolitical uncertainty, and growing stakeholder expectations, IESBA has launched a formal initiative to assess whether its Code remains fit for purpose for today's senior finance leaders. The initiative, called the Role of CFOs, is examining the ethical realities of modern finance leadership and determining what updated guidance, if any, is needed.
As part of this initiative, IESBA has released two dedicated global surveys, one directed at CFOs and equivalent senior finance leaders, and one aimed at those who work with or oversee CFO functions. The surveys build on a CFO Pulse Survey conducted by IESBA in mid-2025 and form the primary evidence base for any future changes to the Code.
Why does this matter?
The decisions IESBA makes following this process will shape the ethical framework that senior finance professionals operate under for years to come. If African voices, and the realities of finance leadership on this continent, are not represented in the data, the resulting guidance will reflect other markets and other contexts.
As CIBA has previously highlighted in coverage of the IESBA Firm Culture and Governance Initiative, IESBA is actively reshaping the ethics infrastructure of the profession. The CFO initiative sits within that same broader agenda.
What do the surveys cover?
The two surveys explore four specific areas:
How the CFO role has evolved, and what ethical challenges senior finance leaders face as a result of those changes
How effectively the IESBA Code currently supports the ethical responsibilities and expectations placed on CFOs
The involvement of CFOs who are not members of a professional accountancy organisation (PAO) and whether that gap has ethical implications
What IESBA should do next, including potential enhancements to the Code, new guidance resources, or other initiatives to support ethical leadership in finance functions
Who should respond?
CIBA members holding the CCFO (Chartered Chief Financial Officer) or CFM (Chartered Financial Manager) designations are directly in scope and are strongly encouraged to participate. The surveys are also open to anyone who interacts with or oversees a CFO function, including board members, audit committee chairs, governance professionals, and accounting firms.
Membership of a professional body is not a requirement to respond.
What happens next?
Survey results and stakeholder input will be presented as preliminary findings at the IESBA board meeting in June 2026, with a final report and recommendations to follow at the September 2026 meeting — at which point a decision will be made on whether changes to the Code are warranted.
The surveys are anonymous, take 10–15 minutes, and close on 24 April 2026.
👉 Complete the Survey Here.