Abstract
The role of the professional accountant has evolved with the development of accounting science. During this process, the professional accountant should not limit his training to only university courses, as his performance is linked to the continuous development of his skills and knowledge in the field. The current economic context outlines the necessity for a new type of professional accountant, one who is constantly up to date with legislative changes, always ready to implement aid schemes offered by the state, always able to support the business environment affected by the crisis. Considering all these aspects, the objectives of this article are directed towards answering the following questions: Can professional development and coordination by professional bodies prepare the accounting profession for the future? What are the conditions for professional evolution and professional revolution, considering extreme changes? Does personal responsibility for lifelong learning and career development represent necessary conditions for professional evolution? How can the professional evolution of the accountant be supported by professional associations? The methodology of the research is based on approaching the problem both theoretically and practically by studying the literature and analysing the legislation and the application of international standards in the field. A possible result of this article would be the estimation of the extent to which a coordinated professional development should be based on professional training, which triggers the challenges that professional accountants must face, and how professional bodies could intervene in the processes by updating the regulations, determining, thus, successful coordination within uncertain future scenarios.