I worked on ... Implementing global accounting standards in an intergovernmental organisation.

I joined the International Organization for Migration (IOM) in 1990. The IOM represents the interests of refugees, economic migrants and residents of countries denied sovereign status.

In the 1980s I had held jobs in finance at marketing company William Levene and race relations body the Runnymede Trust in London, as well as working at accountancy firm G&GB Young.

Having qualified with CIMA in 1988 I moved to the IOM and began contributing to the growth of the organisation by implementing management accounting principles. Streamlining administrative processes and strengthening internal controls has cut waste, duplication and bureaucracy, optimising resources for the maximum benefit of our ultimate beneficiaries.

As migration has developed into one of the world's most significant trends, the IOM has expanded significantly. Founded in 1951 by a group of 16 countries, the organisation sits alongside, and has bilateral agreements with, the United Nations, where it also has a seat on the general assembly as an observer. In my time at the IOM, where I have held a number of roles--including head of the Philippines mission and director of the global administrative centre--I have seen its budget increase sixfold from $200m in 2012.

Chief of staff, the job I was promoted to last year, is the highest position in the organisation after the politically elected posts of director-general and deputy director-general.

In my previous job as director of the department of resources management I began the IOM's implementation of international public-sector accounting standards (IPSAS). We started the plan four years ago and completed it last year. Our audit was conducted by the comptroller and auditor-general of the government of India, which issued a report certifying that our accounts for year ended 2012 were IPSAS compliant.

In order to comply, we needed to implement an enterprise resource planning (ERP) system. This took three years and the total cost, including that of rolling out the new software to our offices around the world, was about $25m. The project was implemented on time and...

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