IFIAR

What IFIAR does

IFIAR (International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators) is a Tokyo-headquartered international organization, founded in Paris in 2006, that brings together independent audit regulators from 57 jurisdictions across Africa, North America, South America, Asia, Oceania, and Europe. It operates as a multilateral coordination forum rather than a commercial entity: its 'products' are the annual Inspection Findings Survey (covering the six largest global audit networks — BDO, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, PwC), recurring technology-in-audits research, the Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMOU) for cross-border information exchange (approved 2015, 22+ signatories), an annual plenary meeting, inspection and enforcement workshops, six working groups, and a public comment-letter pipeline into IAASB and IESBA standard-setting. Underlying delivery is a permanent Secretariat of 11-50 staff in Tokyo, supported by volunteer member time and member-jurisdiction funding, governed by a 16-member Board led by Chair Kevin Prendergast (IAASA, Ireland), Vice Chair Chia-Tern Huey Min (ACRA, Singapore), and Executive Director Julia Rendschmidt (effective October 2025).

The organization's business model is membership-funded and non-commercial. Revenue derives from member contributions to administrative and organizational resources, while members and office bearers individually meet their own participation costs. There is no pricing for products or services, no commercial channel, and no disclosed revenue figure. The Secretariat was established in Tokyo in April 2017 following Member approval in 2016, replacing a rotating arrangement. Outputs are distributed freely through the public ifiar.org website (with a members-only authenticated section), supplemented by newsletters, press releases, calendar integrations (Google, iCalendar, Outlook), and annual reports. IFIAR's customer base consists of sovereign audit regulators and the broader public-interest stakeholder community (investors, audit committees, international standard-setters), with no commercial pricing model in place.

IFIAR's strategic posture is that of a regulatory intermediary: it does not itself regulate auditors but coordinates, surveys, and convenes the regulators who do, while engaging the six largest audit networks through the Global Audit Quality Working Group (GAQWG) on measurable improvement targets (a 21% reduction in audits with inspection findings since the 2015 baseline was reported in January 2020, with a new four-year initiative launched in 2020). Its competitive position rests on the credentialed independence of its members, the MMOU information-sharing framework, and its unique global datasets — none of which are replicable by a single national regulator or alternative forum.

Name

IFIAR

Legal name

International Forum of Independent Audit Regulators Association

Website

https://ifiar.org

Company type

Private

Founded year

2006

Operating status

Operating

Headcount range

1–10 employees

Short description

IFIAR is a Tokyo-headquartered international forum founded in 2006 that convenes independent audit regulators from 57 jurisdictions to coordinate audit oversight, publish global inspection findings surveys, and engage the six largest audit networks on audit quality improvement in the public interest.

Ownership category

akta.pro rank

Headquarters

HQ city

Tokyo

HQ country

Japan

HQ region

Asia

Offices1 record

Markets served

GTM type

B2B

Offering type

Services

Cost components

Personnel, Operations, Others

Revenue model

1. Membership contributions: IFIAR's activities are undertaken on a collaborative basis, with Members and Office bearers meeting their own expenses. Members contribute to the funding of the organizational and administrative resources necessary for IFIAR's ongoing operations. IFIAR also receives public notices and publishes financial statements (e.g., Statement of Financial Position as of December 31, 2025).

Go-to-market motion1 record

Distribution channels2 records

Marketing channels5 records

Core offering

IFIAR is a multilateral forum comprising independent audit regulators from 57 jurisdictions. It does not sell commercial products; instead it delivers research publications (annual Inspection Findings Surveys, Use of Technology in Audits reports, thought papers), recurring convenings (Plenary Meetings, Inspection Workshops, Enforcement Workshops), a multilateral cooperation framework (MMOU), and six Working Groups focused on engagement with the six largest global audit networks, inspections, enforcement, international cooperation, stakeholders, and standard setting.

Product overview

IFIAR is an international organization comprising independent audit regulators from 57 jurisdictions. It is not a software product company but rather a regulatory coordination forum. Its offerings consist of research publications (annual inspection findings surveys, technology in audits reports, thought papers), recurring events (annual plenary meetings, inspection workshops, enforcement workshops), a multilateral cooperation framework (MMOU), and collaborative working groups focused on audit quality, enforcement, standards coordination, and stakeholder engagement.

Differentiator

Problem solved

Functional benefit

Products and services

• Annual Inspection Findings Survey Annual aggregated survey of inspection findings from IFIAR member regulators on audit firms affiliated with the six largest global audit networks (BDO, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, PwC), identifying audit quality trends and common deficiencies.
• Report on Use of Technology in Audits Series of recurring reports by IFIAR's Technology Task Force on innovation, risks, and evolution of technology use in audits, addressing how rapid technology advancements reshape audits globally.
• Plenary Meetings Annual in-person gathering of IFIAR member representatives to discuss emerging regulatory issues, audit profession challenges, and strategic approaches to sustainable audit quality, including meetings with leadership of the six largest global audit networks and international standard setters.
• Inspection Workshops

Quantifiable outcome

• 21% decrease in audits with inspection findings since 2015 baseline, as announced by IFIAR in January 2020

Named customers9 records

Segments1 record

Ideal customer profiles1 record

Technology focussed No

API detail

Has API

No

API docs

API detail

Core technology

AI maturity

App detail

Integration4 records

Partnerships

Nine partnerships are on record, tiered core and minor.

• 22 IFIAR Members (MMOU signatories)coreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015IFIAR's Multilateral Memorandum of Understanding (MMOU) enables and strengthens cooperation among signatory Members for the exchange of information for audit oversight. Signatories include PCAOB, CPAB, ASIC, H3C, AFM, FRC, and others. The MMOU was approved on June 30, 2015.
• Global Public Policy Committee (GPPC) – BDO, Deloitte, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, PwCcoreStrategic or Co-development Partner · 1 January 2015IFIAR's Global Audit Quality Working Group (GAQWG) conducts ongoing dialogue with the six largest global audit networks (BDO, Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, EY, Grant Thornton, KPMG, PwC) with the objective of improving audit quality globally. In 2015, IFIAR and the GPPC networks agreed on a measurable target for a 25% reduction in audits with at least one finding over four years (using 2015 as baseline), later extended with a new four-year initiative in 2020.
• Basel Committee on Banking Supervisors (BCBS)minorOthers · 1 January 2006BCBS is an Observer organization of IFIAR, providing updates to Members about key initiatives in banking supervision relevant to audit oversight.
• European CommissionminorOthers · 1 January 2006The European Commission participates as an Observer organization in IFIAR meetings, providing updates on EU regulatory developments relevant to audit oversight.
• Financial Stability Board (FSB)minorOthers · 1 January 2006FSB is an Observer organization of IFIAR. FSB has requested IFIAR to provide information on inspection findings from audits of major financial institutions, and FSB participates in IFIAR plenary meetings.
• International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS)minorOthers · 1 January 2006IAIS participates as an Observer organization in IFIAR meetings, providing updates on insurance supervision matters relevant to audit oversight.
• International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO)minorOthers · 1 January 2006IOSCO is an Observer organization of IFIAR and has engaged with IFIAR on consultation reports regarding audit committees. IOSCO participates in IFIAR plenary meetings and provides updates on securities regulation.
• Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB)minorOthers · 1 January 2006PIOB is an Observer organization of IFIAR, overseeing the public interest dimension of international audit and ethics standard-setting processes.
• World BankminorOthers · 1 January 2006The World Bank participates as an Observer organization in IFIAR meetings, contributing to discussions on audit quality and regulatory development in emerging markets.

Scale indicators4 records

Recent moves6 records

Expansion highlights5 records

Direct peers

• Public Interest Oversight Board (PIOB): An IFIAR Observer that oversees the public interest dimension of international audit and ethics standard-setting. PIOB operates at the same intersection of public-interest oversight and audit quality, and contributes to IFIAR plenaries.
• Financial Stability Board (FSB): An IFIAR Observer that coordinates global financial stability. The FSB has specifically requested IFIAR inspection findings on major financial institutions, demonstrating a direct working relationship comparable to IFIAR's regulatory coordination role.
• International Association of Insurance Supervisors (IAIS): An IFIAR Observer and the global standard-setting body for insurance supervisors. IAIS mirrors IFIAR's multilateral, member-driven coordination model in a parallel financial-supervision domain.
• Basel Committee on Banking Supervision (BCBS): An IFIAR Observer and the premier international forum for banking supervisors. BCBS shares IFIAR's multilateral coordination model and provides updates at IFIAR plenaries on banking-supervision matters relevant to audit oversight.
• International Organization of Securities Commissions (IOSCO): An IFIAR Observer and the global standard-setter for securities regulators covering 130+ jurisdictions. IOSCO is structurally analogous as a multilateral regulatory coordination forum, and it explicitly engages with IFIAR on audit committees and audit-related matters.
• Public Company Accounting Oversight Board (PCAOB): The US independent audit regulator and IFIAR Member. PCAOB performs the same inspection, enforcement, and standard-coordination functions nationally that IFIAR performs internationally, making it the most functionally comparable single-jurisdiction peer.
• Committee of European Audit Oversight Bodies (CEAOB): The EU-level forum of national audit oversight bodies, chaired jointly by ESMA and the European Commission. CEAOB is IFIAR's regional counterpart for the EU and has overlapping membership (e.g., AFM, FRC, H2A) and shared goals on audit-quality coordination, making it the most directly comparable peer.

Broad incumbents

• International Federation of Accountants (IFAC): The global organization for the accountancy profession, parent body of IAASB and IESBA. IFAC operates at the broader profession level while IFIAR represents the independent regulatory side; the two bodies interact frequently on standard-setting and audit-quality matters.
• International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA): Sets international ethics standards for accountants under IFAC. IESBA is closely linked to IFIAR's audit-quality mission and is a frequent recipient of IFIAR comment letters on ethics and independence standards.
• International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB): Sets international auditing and assurance standards under IFAC. IAASB is thematically central to IFIAR's mission: IFIAR issues formal comment letters on IAASB exposure drafts and IAASB consults IFIAR on standard-setting matters, making it a key counterpart though not a coordination forum.

Market position

Strengths5 records

Weaknesses5 records

Competitive moat5 records

Key risks6 records

Key highlights7 records

Customer concentration

• Xx.com/ifiarorg

Revenue estimate

Valuation estimate

Number of profiles

Profiles3 records

Funding overview

Funding rounds

Investors

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M&A

Investments

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Frequently asked questions about IFIAR