Dennis Beresford, March 16, 2012, Thomas Howell Ferguson speaker

Dennis R. Beresford is Ernst & Young Executive Professor of Accounting, J. M. Tull School of Accounting, Terry College of Business, University of Georgia.  From January 1987 through June 1997, he was chairman of the Financial Accounting Standards Board.  Previously, he was national director of accounting standards for Ernst & Young.  He is a graduate of the University of Southern California.

Beresford  is a director and chairman of the audit committee of Fannie Mae, Legg Mason, Inc., and Doosan Infracore International, Inc.  He previously served on the boards of National Service Industries, Inc., WorldCom, Inc., and Kimberly-Clark Corporation.  He is also a member of the board of directors of the National Association of Corporate Directors.

In 1995, Beresford was awarded an honorary Doctor of Humane Letters degree from DePaul University and in 1997 he received the Lifetime Achievement Award from the California Society of CPA's.  In 2004 he was elected to the Accounting Hall of Fame and received the AICPA Gold Medal for distinguished service.  In 2006 he was selected as one of the inaugural inductees of Financial Executives International’s Hall of Fame.

From 2007 through 2009 Beresford was selected as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the Boardroom by Directorship Magazine.  He presently is a member of the Public Company Accounting Oversight Board Standing Advisory Group.