The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), will convene senior finance leaders, global experts and strategic partners in Bengaluru from May 12 to 14, 2026, for a three-day series of engagements focused on how the accounting and finance profession will evolve in the years ahead. Hosted at The Ritz-Carlton, the events will bring together decision-makers from across finance, public accounting and policy sectors to examine shifts in governance, capital allocation, skills and regulation, and to define what the profession must do to continue to lead.
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Mark Koziel, CEO, AICPA and CIMA
The programme will be led by Mark Koziel, CEO, AICPA and CIMA, whose India visit includes keynote addresses across all three days, alongside participation from global and regional leaders including Tom Hood, Executive Vice President, Business Engagement and Growth, AICPA and CIMA; and Venkkat Ramanan, Regional Vice President Asia Pacific, AICPA and CIMA.
Offering a broader view on the convening, Mark Koziel, CEO, AICPA and CIMA noted, “India stands at a point where finance leaders are expected to interpret complexity with precision and act with conviction. Bringing together senior professionals and global perspectives in Bengaluru allows for candid exchange on risk oversight, performance measurement and the application of emerging technologies in finance and accounting. These engagements are designed to shape and develop the profession’s capabilities to meet emerging business and client needs.”
Venkkat Ramanan FCMA CGMA, Regional Vice President Asia Pacific, AICPA and CIMA added, “Every conversation I have with our members in India comes back to the same thing – they want to lead, not just keep pace. That ambition reflects the right mindset, and AICPA and CIMA are primed to match it with the relevant skills the profession now demands. These events will drive this further.”
The Bengaluru convening is part of AICPA and CIMA’s ongoing engagement with the Indian market, working with members, employers and institutions to support the profession’s development and respond to shifts in technology, regulation and business models. Central to this is RISE2040, a global, multi-year initiative combining research, thought leadership, digital platforms and practitioner networks to shape how the profession will evolve over the next 15 years, building on programmes like the CPA Vision Project and Horizons 2025 to strengthen its role in strategic decision-making and long-term value creation.
Three days of senior–level engagement in Bengaluru
The series opens on May 12 with the CFO Summit, a closed-door working session for CFOs and senior finance leaders in India, structured as a tightly choreographed research and foresight programme focused on producing measurable decisions, governance models and new metrics of value for participants to take back to their organisations. The afternoon will begin with a keynote by Koziel setting the global context for the profession’s shift from historical measurement to decision intelligence, followed by moderated roundtable discussions on how finance functions are becoming forward-looking, how capital is being managed through economic and technological transition, and how fiduciary responsibility is expanding across ethics, regulation and artificial intelligence. Discussions will address themes including anticipatory finance, data governance as a control framework, valuation in transition environments, sustainability-linked financial metrics and emerging regulatory expectations, concluding with a curated dinner to strengthen relationships across India’s senior finance leadership community, with around 50 senior leaders expected.
On May 13, the RISE2040 Conference will bring together members, employers, public accounting leaders and partners for a full-day exchange on the future direction of the profession. The event is positioned as AICPA and CIMA’s flagship gathering in India. The conference will focus on how the profession is preparing for the next decade, with emphasis on capability, market structure and the evolving role of finance, opening with a keynote from Koziel and recognition of leading employers in India contributing to finance talent. Sessions will examine how artificial intelligence is reshaping finance roles and decision-making, and take a detailed look at the Global Capability Centre ecosystem in India and its next phase of growth. The agenda will further address developments across auditing, accounting and tax from a US–India perspective, alongside discussions on advocacy priorities and the long-term capability agenda.
The final day, May 14, will feature the Major Firms Group Partner Council Meeting, a focused engagement with a select group of strategic partners. The session will include a keynote address by Koziel and facilitated discussions aimed at aligning priorities, strengthening collaboration and advancing shared objectives for the profession. The day will also include media interactions, leadership briefings and meetings with accounting firms and employers, forming part of the broader engagement during the India visit.
About AICPA and CIMA
The Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, representing the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants (AICPA) and The Chartered Institute of Management Accountants (CIMA), is one of the world’s largest professional bodies for accounting and finance professionals. Formed in 2017, it brings together the capabilities and legacy of both organisations to support the profession across more than 150 countries and territories, with a combined network of over 580,000 members, candidates and registrants.
AICPA is the world’s largest member association for the CPA profession, responsible for setting ethical, attestation, and private company auditing standards in the United States and for developing the Uniform CPA Examination. CIMA is the world’s leading professional body of management accountants and works closely with employers to equip finance professionals with the skills required for business leadership and strategic decision-making. Together, these organisations contribute to a global framework that supports both public accounting and management accounting disciplines.
