Blue Ribbon Panel Members Named - To Address Private Company Accounting
March 1, 2010
FEI Summary

On Feb. 26, 2010, the members of the Blue Ribbon Panel on Private Company Accounting were announced by the co-sponsoring organizations of the panel, the Financial Accounting Foundation, American Institute of Certified Public Accountants and National Association of State Boards of Accountancy. (As background, the three organizations announced in December that they were forming the panel to: "Provide recommendations on the future of standard setting for private companies, including whether separate, standalone accounting standards for private companies are needed." FEI had issued a statement in December applauding the formation of the panel.)

According to the Feb. 26, 2010 press release issued by FAF:

"Members of the panel represent a cross section of private company financial reporting constituencies, including lenders, investors, and owners as well as preparers and auditors...

"...As announced last month, the committee will be chaired by Rick Anderson, chairman of Moss Adams, LLP, who is also a current member of the FAF Board of Trustees and the AICPA."

Panel and Observers
The 18-member panel announced on February 26 includes:

1. Rick Anderson, Chairman, Moss Adams, LLP; Chairman of the Blue Ribbon Panel
2. Billy Atkinson, Board Chair, NASBA
3. Daryl Buck, Senior VP and CFO, Reasor's Inc.
4. Steve Feilmeier, CFO, Koch Industries
5. Hubert Glober, Co-Founder and President, REDE
6. David Hirschmann, President and CEO, Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness, U.S. Chamber of Commerce
7. William Knese, VP, Finance and Administration, Angus Industries
8. Kewsong Lee, Managing Director, Warburg Pincus
9. Paul Limbert, CEO, WesBanco Inc.
10. Krista McMasters, CEO, Clifton Gunderson
11. Michael Menzies, CEO, Easton Bank and Trust Company
12. Barry Melancon, President and CEO, AICPA
13. Jason Mendelson, Co-founder, Foundry Group
14. David Morgan, Partner, Lattimore, Black, Morgan and Cain PC
15. Terri Polley, President, FAF
16. Dev Strischek, Senior VP, Corporate Risk Management, SunTrust Banks Inc.
17. Mark Vonnahme, Executive VP, Surety, Arch Insurance Group
18. Teri Yohn, Associate Professor, Indiana University

Individuals appointed to the Blue Ribbon Panel serve in their personal capacity. Among the 18 panel members, three of the appointees are also members of FEI: William Knese, Teri Yohn and Daryl Buck, who serves as vice-chair of FEI's Committee on Private Companies-Standards.
CPC-S is the national committee at FEI responsible for monitoring and developing positions on accounting, auditing and related initiatives that impact privately held companies.

Upon being named to the Blue Ribbon Panel, Buck said,

"I’m very pleased to have the opportunity to serve on the Blue-Ribbon Panel, as it considers the future of accounting standards for private companies in the U.S. The panel will be seeking to determine how best to meet the needs of those constituencies who use financial statements produced by private companies, and I’m looking forward to contributing my views to that effort. In addition to my personal experience as a private company CFO and as an auditor in public accounting, my ongoing role as vice chair of FEI’s Committee on Private Companies – Standards (CPC-S) will be very beneficial, as I will have a ready source of practical and technical input from my peers to share with the panel. I’m excited about getting started on this important endeavor.”

As noted in the FAF press release:

"The members of the Blue Ribbon Panel will be joined by several participating observers, including representatives of the U.S. Federal Financial Institution Regulatory Agencies Group and the U.S. Small Business Administration."

Panel aims to issue recommendations within a year
The work of the Blue Ribbon Panel is being fast-tracked. As noted in the press release:

"After its comprehensive review of issues affecting the current system of standard setting for private companies in the United States, the panel will issue a report containing its recommendations to the FAF Board of Trustees in approximately one year."

Prepared Feb. 26, 2010 by Edith Orenstein, director of Accounting Policy Analysis and Communications, Financial Executives International (FEI). This summary does not reflect FEI opinion unless specifically noted above.