Kenyan reappointed to accounting firm's global board

Erastus Omolo. [Courtesy]

A Kenyan accountant has been reappointed to serve on the Crowe Global Board of Directors for the next two years.

Erastus Omolo, an accountant with over 40 years' experience, was first appointed to the board of the international firm in October 2021 and was eligible for re-appointment through a global voting process covering over 140 countries.

As part of his assignment at the global board, he will serve in the global governance sub-committee.

The new appointment took effect from this month and will end in December 2025. Crowe Global Board Chairman Jim Powers said Mr Omolo will be instrumental in assisting the firm to wade through technological disruption that the profession is facing. "The global accountancy profession is being disrupted by increased regulation, rapid technology changes, and a shortage of professionals at all levels of experience," he said. "Erastus and the other members of the board are working with our member firms to assist them to not only meet these challenges, but find new ways to excel in this dynamic environment."

Speaking in Nairobi, Omolo delved into the future of the accounting profession as it faces up to the spread of artificial intelligence (AI).

"This is an emerging area, we must be at the forefront in learning and implementing AI," he said. "Ignore AI at your own peril".

Crowe Global, he noted, has a unit that is focused on addressing the utilisation of AI. "This should not be misinterpreted as AI taking away jobs, far from it. Despite the sophistication that machines have achieved today, they still can't compare to the human brain," Erastus said."

Omolo is the managing partner at Crowe Erastus & Co - which is one of Crowe Global's member firms in Africa.