AICPA Seeks Feedback on Proposed Strategic Plans for Professional Ethics Division and Peer Review Board

NEW YORK (June 1, 2026) – The American Institute of CPAs (AICPA) is seeking public comment on 2027-2030 strategic plan proposals drafted by its Professional Ethics Executive Committee (PEEC) and Peer Review Board (PRB).

The two bodies play key roles in protecting audit quality and promoting professional integrity and adherence to standards. PEEC promotes ethical behavior by AICPA members and others subject to the AICPA Code of Professional Conduct. The PRB oversees a practice monitoring program for firms of varying practice types and sizes, with an emphasis on remediation if problems are identified.

Both strategic plan proposals cite significant issues impacting accounting, including technology shifts, such as the increased use of AI and automation, new business models and alternative practice structures, emerging areas of assurance, such as sustainability and cybersecurity, the continued pace of mergers and acquisitions within the profession, and increasing business and regulatory complexity. They detail how each body plans to respond to those trends, expanding their already close collaboration with the AICPA’s Auditing Standards Board (ASB), strengthening relationships with other key stakeholders, and modernizing operations by leveraging emerging technologies.

“In today’s practice environment, practitioners are navigating unprecedented levels of change,” said Carl Mayes, the AICPA’s vice president of ethics and firm quality. “In the face of that complexity, these draft strategic plans for the AICPA’s Peer Review Board and Professional Ethics Executive Committee provide CPAs with the clarity they need, outlining how we will continue to promote assurance quality and ethical conduct in the years ahead. Together, they reflect our steadfast commitment to serving the profession and protecting the public interest.

The strategic initiatives for PEEC, spelled out in more detail within the plan, are:

• Develop high-quality standards in the public interest

• Support effective implementation and application of our standards

• Enhance stakeholder engagement and advocacy

• Modernize our operating model

The strategic initiatives for PRB are:

• Modernize and strengthen the peer reviewing operating model

• Build a sustainable, future-ready reviewer pool

• Anticipate and lead on emerging assurance trends

• Enhance stakeholder engagement and advocacy

• Reimagine practice monitoring

The two strategic plan proposals pose specific questions for stakeholders who wish to comment. The deadline for feedback is Aug. 31.