Cynthia M. Fornelli

Cindy Fornelli is a U.S. business leader, former securities lawyer, and a graduate of Purdue University and The George Washington University Law School.^[1] She currently serves as Executive Director of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ).

Leadership at CAQ

As the CAQ’s first-ever Executive Director, Fornelli is responsible for carrying out the mission and vision of the CAQ’s Governing Board, which is composed of eight leaders from public company audit firms, the American Institute of CPAs, and three independent public members. She also serves as an ex-officio board member at the organization.

Prior Positions

Prior to her current role at the CAQ, Fornelli held positions at Bank of America (Regulatory and Conflicts Management Executive) and the U.S. Securities and Exchange Commission (Deputy Director of the Division of Investment Management).

Awards

Fornelli has been named one of Accounting Today’s Top 100 Most Influential People for nine consecutive years.

In 2015, she was named for the seventh time to the NACD Directorship list of the 100 most influential people in corporate governance. She also has received the Special Award of Merit from the American Accounting Association’s Auditing Section.

Board Membership

Fornelli holds leadership roles at the following organizations:

• Ira M. Millstein Center for Global Markets and Corporate Ownership^[2] Advisory Board Member
• Securities and Exchange Commission Historical Society^[3] Board of Trustees, Treasurer for 2014-15
• National Association of Corporate Directors^[4] Audit & Risk Oversight Committee Advisory Council
• International Corporate Governance Network^[5] Accounting and Auditing Committee

Previously, Fornelli served on the National Association of Corporate Directors’ 2010 Blue Ribbon Commission on the Audit Committee, and the 2009 Blue Ribbon Commission on Risk Governance. She is a former member of the Washington, D.C. bar and the American Bar Association.

Thought Leadership

Fornelli has been interviewed for news outlets including Fox Business News, National Public Radio, USA Today, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Financial Times, the Associated Press, Reuters, Dow Jones Newswires, The Hill, and Bloomberg News.

She is a regular commentator^[6] in trade magazines, and featured speaker at industry conferences.

In 2014, Fornelli became a LinkedIn Influencer,^[7] offering her views on trends in the auditing industry, corporate governance, and leadership to a growing audience of over 45,000 followers.

References

External links

• The Center for Audit Quality