Trainers

Program Director

Bobbe Barnes, CPA, CMA, CGFM, is a highly qualified educator and consultant with over 30 years of international experience in professional certification, governmental accounting, and accounting Training of Trainers (TOT) programs. As Program Director, Ms. Barnes has formulated accounting training curricula for the Kabul University Accounting Project and provides ongoing guidance and advice to Senior Instructors. Ms. Barnes has worked extensively in Central Asia developing the Certified International Professional Accountant (CIPA) certificate program, training courses, examinations, and overseeing the development of accounting education. She has also designed a special workshop for CIPA trainers and teachers to improve pedagogical methodology and develop a professional network. As Regional Director of Accounting Education on a USAID funded accounting reform project implemented by The Pragma Corporation, Ms. Barnes developed the CIPA certificate program including training courses, examinations, and oversaw grading of examinations given in 8 countries, including all of Central Asia, Moldova, Ukraine, Russia and Bulgaria.

In Ukraine, Ms. Barnes worked as a Senior Consultant to the USAID Accounting Reform Project to strengthen delivery of the CIPA Program through trainers, training providers, universities, and local professional organizations. Ms. Barnes also worked in Azerbaijan, where she conducted TOT programs and developed accounting curriculum at the Azerbaijan Bank Training Center, and in China, where she analyzed the existing environment for CPA certification and continuing professional education. As an Accounting Program Faculty and undergraduate advisor at the University of Texas in Austin, she taught classes, was involved in development and implementation of computerized recordkeeping of grades, computer development of bank of test questions in order to generate exams by use of the computer, and supervised lab assistants. At the University of Colorado, Ms. Barnes taught graduate level accounting courses. She holds a Master of Professional Accounting (MPA) degree from University of Texas at Austin and a B.A. in Economics from the University of Rochester.

Senior Instructors

Mary Hahn, CPA, has nearly thirty years of experience in accounting, training, consulting, project and grants management, and auditing. She has worked with businesses, non-governmental and governmental organizations both in the United States and worldwide. Her international work includes projects for USAID, Asian Development Bank, World Bank and OSCE. She has provided trainings and technical support in the areas of financial management, International Accounting Standards (IAS/IFRS), management accounting, and business development in many countries including Afghanistan, Central Asian Republics, Azerbaijan, Mongolia, Ukraine, Russia, Uzbekistan, Bosnia, Hungary, Macedonia, Serbia & Montenegro, and Hungary. Ms. Hahn holds a Masters of Science in Accounting from Northeastern University and a Bachelor of Arts in Biology from Austin College.

Charles Sheridan, CPA, has over 40 years of experience in accounting and auditing worldwide. Currently, he provides accounting advice and services to foreign investors in commercial enterprises in Azerbaijan and Mongolia. He provided advice to the National Bank of Azerbaijan (NBA) and to selected commercial banks on international best practices in accounting using International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), internal controls over financial reporting based upon the Committee of Sponsoring Organizations (COSO) publications on Internal Controls and Risk Management, external auditing based upon the IFAC Committee responsible for International Standards of Auditing (ISA) and internal auditing based upon the Standards for the Professional Practice of Internal Auditing (SPPIA) of the IIA. He also developed and delivered seminars for NBA and commercial bank staff on accounting and internal auditing practices.

In Ukraine, he spoke to accounting organizations to promote the adoption of IAS/IFRS and more modern accounting practices. In Bosnia, Mr. Sheridan worked as an Accounting advisor under contract to NATO and OSCE. In the United States, he taught college-level courses in accounting and worked as a CPA in the private sector. Mr. Sheridan received a Master’s Degree in Business Administration from the University of Detroit Mercy and a Bachelor’s Degree in Business Administration from Xavier University.

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