Andrew Guerrero, CPA, President ISFFA (International Society of Filipinos in Finance and Accounting) – Chicago Chapter

By: Ryan Tejero

 

Founded in 2006 as a national organization, International Society of Filipinos in Finance and Accounting (ISFFA) is a nonprofit 501(c)3 public benefit corporation whose primary goal is to assist, educate, train, and mentor emerging professionals, both domestically as well as globally. ISFFA adheres to the highest ideals of professionalism and ethical behavior in the spirit of integrity, commitment to social responsibility, discipline, and solidarity. ISFFA has a national executive board and local chapters to include Southern California, New York, and San Francisco. ISFFA Chicago was established in 2013.

ISFFA operates through a customized program that highlights self-awareness tools and activities that will enhance everyone’s leadership capabilities. The group is huge in imparting strategies for continuous development through peer assessment, group discussions, self-reflection, small group activities and personal coaching. Its leadership workshop aims to develop leadership skills based upon each member’s unique personality. This year in May 2024, ISFFA is scheduled to have a leadership event called Practical strategies for effective communication, fostering deeper connections, and understanding even the most enigmatic of individuals, with Adam San Juan, as speaker.

Part of its mission is to provide scholarship opportunities. It assists individuals, students or professionals who require funds for education but do not have the financial resources to fund their educational pursuits. ISFFA provides and facilitates educational and financial scholarships to deserving students and future leaders with the assistance of its sponsors and partners (e.g., AICPA, Becker review, etc.). In 2023, ISFFA Chicago established the Belmonte-Priebe Accounting Scholarship Program through Gilda Priebe, a partner of Adelfia LLC, to demonstrate her strong commitment to providing educational opportunities for students in the Philippines, particularly those who graduated from the provinces who would like to pursue the CPA profession. Today, ISFFA has a list of 17 scholarship recipients, and growing.

Also, important to ISFFA is its mentoring program that connects emerging Filipino professionals with accomplished volunteer professionals to gain business and leadership expertise essential to develop, grow and succeed in their professional and personal pursuits.

As part of its community outreach, ISFFA pursues projects that help the victims of calamities, participating in medical missions to the underserved communities, as well as, partnering with various nonprofits in raising funds for charitable endeavors. In 2022, ISFFA participated in the Typhoon Odette Fundraising Campaign.

In Chicago, ISFFA had successfully organized its fundraisers which include the Induction Dinner in September 2023, and the Chicago Filipino Restaurant Week in October 2023.

Currently heading ISFFA Chicago is Andrew Guerrero. He is the Senior Manager at Adelfia LLC. Andrew has over 11 years of combined experience in auditing, SOX compliance, accounting, tax, and consulting in public practice and has worked in various industries namely: governmental agencies, not-for-profit entities, and universities. He is a Certified Public Accountant. Andrew received his Master of Science in Accounting from Keller Graduate School of Management (DeVry University, Chicago). He also completed his Bachelor of Science in Accounting from the University of Central Florida. Andrew is married to Allison Guerrero, who is a teacher at Clarendon Hills Middle School. Together, they have two children Willa Jean (4) and Baker (2). Andrew is also a member of the Philippine CPAs of Greater Chicago (PCPA).

Please reach out to ISFFA by contacting Andrew at email amguerrero@adelfiacpas.com should you be interested to support their projects or become a member of the organization.

 

L to R: Maria Pia Pagtalunan, VP of Scholarship; Ivy Pineda, VP of Marketing; Gayle Floresca, VP of Mentorship; Marian De Guzman, VP of Leadership; Ian Mendoza, VP of Community Service; John Tipsay, Treasurer; Ria Anne Coronel, Secretary; Emmanuel Mijares, Executive Vice President; Andrew Guerrero, President.