Washington, D.C. (May 19, 2019) – The American Institute of CPAshas named James J. Leisenring, CPA, as the recipient of the Gold Medal Award of Distinction for 2019.

The Gold Medal Award is the highest honor granted by the AICPA.  Since 1944, it has been bestowed upon CPAs whose influence on the accounting profession has been especially notable.  Lewis Sharpstone, CPA, CGMA, a member of the AICPA Awards Committee, presented Leisenring with the award today at the spring meeting of AICPA’s governing Council.  

“Jim has been at the forefront in setting accounting standards throughout his illustrious career,” Sharpstone said.  “His dedication to high quality standards is steadfast and evident in the role he’s played in developing U.S. and international accounting standards.”

Leisenring was appointed Senior Advisor to the Financial Accounting Standards Board (FASB) in 2010 when he retired from the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB).  He was appointed in 2001 as a member of the IASB and as the IASB’s liaison member to the FASB.  When Leisenring was appointed to the IASB, he was director of international activities at the FASB.

He joined the FASB staff in 1982 as director of research and technical activities and became chairman of the Emerging Issues Task Force when it was formed in 1984.  Leisenring was appointed as a member of the FASB in 1987 and was appointed its vice chairman in 1988 where he served until June 2000.

Leisenring chaired the FASB Derivatives Implementation Group and the FASB Financial Instruments Task Force and was a member of the International Joint Working Group on Financial Instruments.  Leisenring served as chairman of the G4+1, a group of national standard setters from Australia, Canada, New Zealand, the United Kingdom and the United States.  

He also served as chairman of the AICPA Auditing Standards Board prior to his appointment to the FASB.

Leisenring was a member of the faculty of Western Michigan University from 1964 to 1969.

He received his BA from Albion College and an MBA from Western Michigan University.