Gina Chammas, CPA, CACM, MSc. Global Leadership

Gina J. Chammas is a Lebanese American expert in the anti-corruption field, She is a Certified Anti-Corruption Manager (CACM)., who started her career in Audit and Investigation with Deloitte USA (former Touche Ross, San Diego Office, Audit) in 1982 after graduating with honors from The University of San Diego, then she was the first Lebanese woman to sit for the CPA exam in California.

She was the first woman elected President of LACPA (2011-2012).  Since then, she remains the elected President of the Mutual Fund of members of LACPA.  She served as a member of the Committee on Retirement Fund.  She is newly appointed as the President of LACPA – IFAC Relations and Technical Committee by LACPA. 

She progressed into an internal control designer and developed her financial investigation and litigation support skills into expertise since her first years and has been serving in courts as an expert witness or as a sworn expert.  She established a development consulting firm named Tomorrow’s Advice s.a.r.l. (1996), followed by an international consulting firm, Tomorrow’s Advice Global s.a.l (Offshore Lebanon -2007).  Her Audit practice “ISA Lebanon” became recently a member of the International Network McMillan Woods Global.

She pursued her education and received a Master of Science in Global Leadership graduating from the University of San Diego in 2005.  That led her to focus on economics and law among nations.  In the US as well as Lebanon she served in Public Finance related positions, like Treasurer and Assistant Director of Finance.  She is also the first woman to serve as Senior Advisor to the President of the Republic of Lebanon on Finance and Budget (1998–2007). 

She was appointed end of 2018 as Advisor to The American Anti-Corruption Institute (AACI) in the MENA Region and she leads the AACI’s Women and Public Sector initiatives in the MENA, due to her relevant experience in both Public and Private sector, as well as her engagement to support women in decision making postions. 

She serves now as President of Lebanon Certified Anti-Corruption Managers LCACM, an NGO established on August 10, 2020, including other Certified Anti-Corruption Managers, members of The American Anti-Corruption Institute.  LCACM contributes effectively to Corruption Prevention as well as to Sustainable Reforms via Networking and collaborating with competent NGOs who adopt the Ten Principles of Fighting Corruption promulgated by The AACI (2012).

Ms. Chammas’ anti-corruption efforts and activities in Lebanon started in 1996, concentrating on “Solidere” breaking the constitutional right to private property ownership, on abuse of power and conflict of interest by public officials, and fraud in many areas such as Solid Waste Management, Power Sector, Banned Pharmaceutical Drugs in foreign markets and sold in Lebanon, Finance and Taxes, Customs and other direct costs of corruption, privileges given to banks and the concentrated powers in the hands of the position of Central Bank Governor, Banking Secrecy Abuse, and the ownership of the Central Bank to private like operating banks and companies, among many others.

In 2019, Ms. Gina Chammas introduced to Lebanon the concept that fighting corruption is NOT a Hobby.  It requires Intelligent Knowledge of fighting corruption and corruption prevention simultaneously. Ms. Chammas is a recipient of many Honors. 

Ms. Chammas was a member of the AICPA, the CA Society of CPAs, CMTA, MFOA, and GFOA, starting in 1989. Participated in meetings of the Lebanese Council of Ministers and the Parliamentary Committee on Finance and Budget (1999-2000).She was appointed one of five members of the National Integrity Steering Committee (NISC 2000) by the Council of Ministers’ Decision, upon Recommendation of the United Nations Center for International Crime Prevention. She worked as an advisor to Lebanon’s Minister of Economy and Trade from 1996 to 1997, and was in charge of the private sector portion of President Bill Clinton’s Friends of Lebanon event in Washington DC in December 1996.She worked as an Assistant Finance Director in the second largest municipality in San Diego County, California, USA, from 1988 to 1994.

She is a frequent speaker for several important organizations, including LACPA, OECD, AMCHAM, BPW Global Lebanon, Ministry of Economy and Trade, FIDEF, AUB, LAU, Capital Markets Lebanon, Lebanon Opportunities Conference, and others.

Ms. Chammas taught managerial accounting at Antonine University from 2013 to 2018, and construction accounting at San Diego State University in San Diego, CA in 20.

Besides being an honor student, Ms. Chammas has been recognized by several honor organizations in her lifetime. She earned the French Government Award in 1982 for her academic research, and she was awarded the Participation in the Personalite de L’Avenir offered to her by the French Government (1999), courtesy of and presented by “le Ministère des Affaires Étrangères”. Selected to participate in the European Parliament Session, part of the delegation of “Women In Front” in April 2013. She also participated in the technical discussion on “Union pour la Méditerannée” at the European Economic Parliamentary Committee. She was recognized by the Green Party on Women’s Day in 2016 and by several NGOs and “Mariam TV for Women’s Issues” in 2017. She was honored in 2018 by the YWCA under the auspices of the Lebanese Government on Women’s Day as one of 13 women presidents of professional organizations or associations in the history of Lebanon.

Honors & Memberships: Member of the Family Business Wiki Advisory Board (2008-2011), Member of the Scientific Advisory Council for the Agency of Combating Unemployment for the Republic of Syria (2000-2005), Certified Public Accountant CPA, California (1994 -2011),American Institute of Certified Public Accountants’ Member (AICPA), California Society of Certified Public Accountants’ Member (CSCPA), Who’s Who Worldwide (1994-95), Two Thousand Most Notable American Women (1993-94), Government Finance Officers Association Member (GFOA 1988-94), Municipal Finance Officers Association Member (MFOA 1988-94),  California Municipal Treasurers’ Association (CMTA 1988-94), Dean’s List and honors, Cum Laude, Suma Cum Laude (1979-82), Beta Gamma Sigma (82), National Business Honor Society (82), Pi Delta Phi (82), National French Honor Society (1982), Kappa Gamma Pi (82), National Catholic Honor Society (82), Beta Alpha Psi  – Zeta Kappa Chapter (82), National Accounting Honor Society (82).

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