Insights
Featured Article
Women on boards – how do we reach equality?
The pandemic has pushed back gender parity across the UK FTSE 350 to 2036, with women holding just 22% of all executive committee roles.
Just 15 of the top companies have female chief executives. While we’ve made some progress in recent years, what needs to change to reach true equality?
CAW Network USA and Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand bring together thought leaders to present on ‘Building Trust’
CAW Network USA – Open Positions updated January 11th, 2022
For CAW Network USA to continue its growth and focus on educating and networking members in the USA we have the following openings for volunteer positions.
Check out some clips of the newest episodes of the Beyond Accounting Difference Makers Podcast.
In this segment of Beyond Accounting Difference Makers, Breiffni talks to Karin Lanigan, Head of Member Experience, Chartered Accountants Ireland, and Dave Riordan, Career and Recruitment Specialist, Chartered Accountants Ireland.
The discussion is about how you can move your career back to Ireland. It’s also about making the move back to Ireland, taking into account the current state of the market. The episode focuses on how to best position yourself to get your dream job.
This is an article published in the Winter 2021 edition of ‘Reflections’ magazine. Reflections is written for retired partners with what used to be Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Deloitte then split to merge with different firms. The UK (and other countries / offices) merged with Coopers and Lybrand at the start of 1990 to become Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte. (CLD). The US (and some other countries /offices) elected to merge with Touche Ross to become Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Today they are commonly referred to Deloitte. CLD meantime merged with Price Waterhouse to become Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC). Roger Musson – who was a partner with both DHS and CLD is featured in this article. Roger was our second ACAUS president and interviewed with us when Ian Wise wrote ‘ACAUS at 40’.This was published earlier in 2021 (available on Amazon). This then led to Roger sharing his recollections of his time in New York with Reflections magazine.
Beyond Accounting
Highlights: Beyond Accounting Building Trust
CAW Network USA and Chartered Accountants Australia New Zealand bring together thought leaders to present on ‘Building Trust’
On October 21st CAW Network USA and ICAEW presented another addition to the Beyond Accounting series.
The focus of this webinar was advocating for professional accountants to utilize technology in reporting Climate impact. Some of the main points revolve around the UN SDGs and how they impact the evolving industry reporting expectations.
Tune into the highlights of Breiffni’s interview with Shane Rogers, including his advice to all Chartered Accountants.
CAW Network USA recently launched a podcast series, “Beyond Accounting – Difference Makers.”
Each episode highlights a professional Chartered Accountant who is making a difference in their company, industry, or society.
Wellness
Remote working part 3: the lack of ‘real life’
In the third part of ICAEW’s remote worker series mental health speaker Nick Elston explains what can be done to ensure people don’t feel disconnected in a home working environment.
Whilst some have thrived on the flexibility of remote working, many have not had the same experience.
Instalment two of ICAEW’s remote working series explores how one business completed an 18-month project in two weeks by shifting whole workforces from office to home working.
In the first of a new remote working series, we speak with a CFO on their experience integrating a whole business through remote acquisition, as well as a recent virtually onboarded employee.
With remote working set to continue as the pandemic transforms traditional ways of working life, a new series from ICAEW Insights aims to underline first-hand experiences of this shift – including the process of remote onboarding.
Expertise will depend on your role, level of seniority and career trajectory.
Sustainability & SDGs
Pressure is growing for firms to demonstrate that they are operating responsibly. Ryan Herman hears how formalising the supply chain audit and harmonising ESG reporting could be the missing pieces.
The electric vehicle revolution is finally charging ahead. EDF’s Ren Baletti CA tells Ryan Herman why the utility giant will be powering the UK’s transformation towards a zero-emissions economy.
From rainforest economies in Brazil to tackling plastic pollution in Indonesia, systems change company Systemiq confronts some of the planet’s most urgent challenges. CFO Andrew Morrow CA explains why accountants play a crucial role.
Climate Change
Climate right for new ISSB
Anne Adrain summarises the latest update from the IFRS Foundation on developments in sustainability reporting.
The IFRS Foundation Trustees (Trustees) took the opportunity during the finance-themed session at the global climate summit, COP26, to announce three significant developments on the future of sustainability standard setting.
Anne Adrain, Head of Sustainability and Reporting at ICAS, explains how CAs are crucial to the fight against climate change and why ICAS is committing to net zero.
The arrival of November means the 2021 United Nations Climate Change Conference, better known as COP26, is finally taking place. It couldn’t have come at a more opportune time. August’s IPCC report highlighted the severity of the dangers posed by climate change. If we are unable to limit the rise in global temperatures to 1.5°C, the report states, there will be lasting damage to the planet. For the first time, the IPCC also made explicit the link between climate change and human activity.
So, who will be the winners of this race?
All of us, we hope, if the various world leaders that descend on Glasgow in November step up the pace in the race for the preservation, and survival, of the human race.
The issue of climate change is at the forefront of the minds of many investors and other stakeholders as its impacts are becoming increasingly apparent. The IAASB has recognised that climate change is likely to have some impact on most, if not all, entities and, as a result, has implications for auditors.
Digital Disruption
Carole Pyke shares her advice on what goes into making an authentic and successful personal brand.
Carole Pyke is the Sparkle Navigator.
The pandemic saw many tech companies thrive as the world went more virtual. Despite talk of a drift away from Silicon Valley, local CAs tell Ryan Herman why its status as the world’s tech capital will remain unchallenged.
For Ninos Sarkis CA, there was only one place to be if he was going to pursue a career in tech. “I started accounting with a Big Four firm in 2000 and my clients included tech companies. The more I learned about the sector, the more I learned its heart was in Silicon Valley. If I didn’t get here, I would never truly experience what it’s like to work in the tech industry,” he recalls.
CAW Network USA’s David Nickson shares the latest thinking on the tax implications of buying / selling cryptocurrency.
Covid-19 - Global Recovery
How CFOs are keeping finance on course during the crisis
In the coming months, chief financial officers will have a key role to play in keeping a tight focus on what really matters in these chaotic times
As the fallout from COVID-19 continues, business owners remain concerned about their survival and the safety of their employees, and chief financial officers can help.
Workspaces will start to look a lot different because of the pandemic.
Coronavirus is now part of our daily lives. We keep a safe distance and wear masks, but many have begun returning to long-deserted offices. For working professionals, it may feel some sense of normality is finally returning.
Hayley Pannick CA, Director of Development at Imperial Health Charity, tells Laurence Eastham how charities have helped hospitals navigate the Covid-19 pandemic and why public goodwill for the NHS can be channelled into action.
Economics
Benchmark Drives Behavior, the saga continues…
In my previous article, I covered some of the challenges I encountered during my career that caused me to question issues surrounding benchmarks and the process of creating benchmarks.
I touched on how certain benchmarks can lead to problematic outcomes across a myriad of spheres such as safety, financial reporting, retaining employees, etc. In that article, I said that the follow-on article would provide some additional and more detailed examples of where things went wrong along with some analysis.
Benchmark Drives Behavior
An anecdotal look at how behavior follows what we measure and how this can lead to aberrant and/or potentially fraudulent outcomes.
Guido van Drunen is a forensic accounting expert, with decades of experience in high-profile investigative work. Having recently retired from KPMG he is writing a series of articles about how he has seen benchmarks drive behavior – often with aberrant or potentially perverse outcomes. The purpose of these articles is to make readers think more deeply and maybe differently about key metrics, how they are created, how they are measured and what behaviors they encourage.
Ethics
Diversity
Interview: Mike Adams, CEO of Purple, on changing the disability conversation
Mike Adams, CEO of Purple, shares with Lysanne Currie his mission to change the disability conversation from disadvantage and inequality to one about potential and value.
Mike Adams has a useful exercise for leaders to try with their own company website. He calls it the no-mouse test. When you go home (or if you’re working from home, as you may well be), log on to your website, unplug your mouse – and see how far you can navigate your way through the site just by using the keyboard. How far did you get? Now imagine the obstacles a person with a disability might face.
Leadership
ACAUS worth celebrating
This is an article published in the Winter 2021 edition of ‘Reflections’ magazine. Reflections is written for retired partners with what used to be Deloitte Haskins and Sells. Deloitte then split to merge with different firms. The UK (and other countries / offices) merged with Coopers and Lybrand at the start of 1990 to become Coopers & Lybrand Deloitte. (CLD). The US (and some other countries /offices) elected to merge with Touche Ross to become Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu. Today they are commonly referred to Deloitte. CLD meantime merged with Price Waterhouse to become Price Waterhouse Coopers (PWC). Roger Musson – who was a partner with both DHS and CLD is featured in this article. Roger was our second ACAUS president and interviewed with us when Ian Wise wrote ‘ACAUS at 40’.This was published earlier in 2021 (available on Amazon). This then led to Roger sharing his recollections of his time in New York with Reflections magazine.
Philanthropy
Global Trade
A fair trade model for the B2B sector: how finance can apply innovation to tackle UN SDGs
After the launch of Finance & Business2030 conference in London, Chartered Accountants Worldwide surveyed more than 120 delegates for their thoughts and reactions following the event which featured finance and business professionals discussing ways to develop a plan of action towards achieving the goals.
FinBiz2030 is a joint initiative between One Young World, Chartered Accountants Worldwide and the City of London.