It is a privilege to take over the editorship of Accounting Perspectives from Claude Laurin. Throughout the transition, he has been generous with his time and good advice and has given me an excellent foundation on which to build.

The first Accounting Perspectives Special Event took place thanks to his leadership and dedication, and became the springboard for our discussions about the future of the journal. The culmination of Professor Laurin’s term as EIC, the event was a showcase of what Accounting Perspectives achieves when at its best: engaging and accessible presentation of excellent applied research, by both established and junior academics in Canada; a conduit for dialogue between academia and practice; rigorous and respectful debate addressing issues relevant to the Canadian accounting landscape; openness to various methodologies and paradigms; and the transfer of useable knowledge in a meaningful context.

These are the qualities that set the stage as we began a re-envisioning of Accounting Perspectives. We considered the evolution of the academic and professional accounting realms in Canada since the journal’s remit was last reframed. Our process took place in tandem with the CAAA’s commitment to a newly redefined Mission and Vision. We asked ourselves in what ways the journal could meet and embody these core values. We owe enormous gratitude to those we consulted for advice throughout the process, including Professor Laurin, Anne Fortin, Lilian Chan, Bruce McConomy, Gary Spraakman, Colin Braithwaite, Irene Gordon, and Alan Richardson.

It is particularly fitting that this special issue features the work of Professor Richardson, the journal’s founding editor and one of its most steadfast champions over the years. It is clear that the things at which AP has excelled are rooted in his original vision from when the journal launched in 2002. You will find evidence of these roots in the new aims and scope, and editorial policies.

Why change at all? Change is challenging and discomfiting, and it is against our nature to embrace an unknown quantity over the status quo. But just as we were able to see the areas in which Accounting Perspectives succeeds, we faced difficult truths about ways in which it has lost its way. So, as I take on this editorship, I make a renewed pledge for the journal to serve, support, and develop the accounting community in Canada: to be the go-to resource to which academics and practitioners turn for applied research and instructional cases in the Canadian context – and the go-to journal for authors who want to publish it.

One thing that has not changed since the journal’s inception is that our commitment to fulfil this mandate successfully “requires your support as authors, reviewers, and readers”. As our journal, Accounting Perspectives is your journal. To celebrate the relaunch, Accounting Perspectives will publish four special issues in 2018, each including at least one literature review, commentary, applied research article, and instructional case. Please help me make our initiative a success.

As we move Accounting Perspectives into the next stage of its maturity, I am proud that we carry forward with us the energy of my predecessors, the vision of our founding editor, and the dedication of the CAAA staff, Board, and members to its success.