Speaker

Alison Yara, CPA

Alison Yara was recently named Vice President and Chief Accountant of IBM.  In this role, she is responsible for the organization that records, analyzes and reports worldwide financial data in accordance with Generally Accepted Accounting Principles in support of IBM's legally required filings. This includes filings with the Securities and Exchange Commission as well as with local country agencies and reporting for internal management and measurement systems. Our goal as an accounting organization is to create a positive climate in which talented, engaged individuals can thrive and make significant contributions to the team and to business results. 

Prior to taking this role, Ms. Yara held various executive roles in Accounting at IBM, including:  Vice President of Accounting Policy & Financial Reporting, Director of IFRS Policy, Statutory Reporting, and Revenue Standard Implementation, Director or EMEA, Growth Markets / Japan, and Director of Software and Systems Accounting. During this time, she had much interaction with IBM’s Accounting Centers of Excellence in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, Buenos Aires, Argentina and Bratislava, Slovakia, and had the opportunity to travel to visit each of the Centers a number of times. 

Prior to joining IBM in 2002, she was with the Assurance division of KPMG in Stamford, Connecticut.  She provided audit services to clients in a variety of industries, primarily within the Manufacturing and Information / Technology areas.  She graduated from Fairfield University with a B.S. in Accounting and holds a CPA license in the State of Connecticut. 

She married her spouse on the Big Island of Hawaii in 2018 (while Kilauea was erupting) and they welcomed a son in October of 2018. Time outside of work (and since March, during work) is filled with a very active toddler.