“Raising the Bar for Bookkeeping”

Janet Jack, CEO of, International Association of Bookkeepers, has a genuine worldview grounded by practical experience in a cross-section of relevant and diverse industries. Having run her bookkeeping practice, she is uniquely positioned to relate to the International Association of Bookkeepers members and has focused on developing targeted solutions to problems she has experienced first-hand. It's not often a CEO has walked in the shoes of the people they serve, and it is this depth of understanding and empathy that is feeding the vision and direction of the organization.

Janet is a leader who can channel her ambition into the organization and share success rather than use the organization's success to serve her own needs. This can only really be achieved by embracing change which she does whole heartily. In turn, this permits the team to adopt a creative and problem-solving culture with all voices being heard. An innate understanding that an organization with a diverse and well-rounded team will positively impact all external stakeholders enables further success.

Having spent a large proportion of her life working worldwide, Janet has a wealth of experience and a deep understanding of individual cultures. This knowledge has been beneficial in identifying products and services that are genuinely needed at a local level and creating marketing campaigns that are relevant to the audience they support. Further, developing strategic relationships and finding solutions that both parties can gain from insures a long-term collaboration.

The IAB is fast approaching its 50th anniversary and has weathered the effects of time well. The original concept of the organization was born out of a need in the marketplace for accountants and bookkeepers to be supported in their everyday tasks. Over time the global needs versed the UK needs became increasingly difficult to address under one umbrella, so the International Association of Accounting Professionals (IAAP) was born. Today the IAB predominately addresses the needs of the UK market and has become one of the leading Anti-Money Laundering Supervisory bodies and is also OfQual regulated, thereby exerting its influence in the key role of education.

The IAB has a two-pronged approach to raising the bar of bookkeeping. Firstly, it is working at a government level to ensure that the industry receives the recognition it deserves by lobbying for industry regulation. Secondly, the IAB is tackling the mindset of the individual bookkeeper and helping them understand they too are business owners and entrepreneurs in their own right, in alignment, not subservient, to the businesses they serve.

The strategic plan for the company in short to medium term is to expand further into Asia, Africa, and the Middle East as these are high growth markets due to the demand for their qualifications and the ability to accredit valuable local qualifications enabling individuals to enhance their career options due to our global recognition. “Back home our membership base is growing significantly, primarily due to the conscious decision we made in lockdown to support our members,” says Janet. “Investment in initiatives such as the Ambassador program, open Coffee Mornings with free technical help and the development of new CPD courses have proved popular.” A new suite of tiered qualifications will see the IAB penetrate lower-level training in the UK while the IAAP will support higher-level qualifications in developing countries.

The IAB and IAAP are also committed to reducing its carbon footprint, for example, no longer issuing plastic membership cards; certificates are now digital with an environmental win and offer much more efficient service. “Giving back is also a important core value so each year we support a different charity, this year our charity of the year is the Normandy Memorial Trust and we are planning a sponsored bike ride from our offices in Kent to Gold Beach in Normandy. Our President Fabian Hamilton MP will be our lead rider!” adds Janet.IE