Barry Melancon is the president and CEO of the American Institute of CPAs and CEO of the Association of International  Professional Accountants (AICPA). 

During his 41-year career, Melancon has served as an advocate for the accounting profession. He has built extensive relationships with governments around the world, extending the reach of the public and management accounting profession to new regions and opportunities.  

Barry joined the AICPA as CEO in 1995. He is now the longest serving CEO in the organization’s 133-year history. Under his tenure, the AICPA has grown to become the largest membership body of CPAs in the world and has directed numerous initiatives to benefit the profession, investors, business owners, and lenders.  

Additionally, Brother Melancon serves as chair of the board of CPA.com, a for-profit subsidiary of the AICPA. CPA.com today provides leading-edge technology services to tens of thousands of small CPA firms in the United States.  

Barry is also chair of eXtensible Business Reporting Language-US (XBRL), a founding member and current board chair of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA), and a founding and current board member of the Center for Audit Quality (CAQ). He serves on the board of the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Center for Capital Markets Competitiveness and is a member of the delegation to the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). During 2007-2008, Melancon served on the U.S. Department of the Treasury Advisory Committee on the auditing profession. He has also testified for the profession before Congress numerous times.  

Melancon graduated in 1978 from Nicholls State University in Louisiana, majoring in accounting with a minor in government. He also earned an MBA in 1983 from Nicholls State and served as an adjunct professor of accounting for four years. He was also awarded his alma mater’s first and only honorary doctorate of commerce in 2008. He has been honored with many awards, including the 2011 National Association Executive of the Year award.  

The Deltasig Career Achievement Award is presented to Delta Sigma Pi members who have most distinguished themselves in business, government, or education, and through their accomplishments have furthered a higher standard of commercial ethics, culture, and the civic and commercial welfare of the community. Review other Deltasig Career Achievement Award Winners. 

If you are interested in attending the Career Achievement Reception for Barry Melancon on Friday, March 8, 2024, register here. The reception is included for those registered for Southern LEAD Provincial Conference.