uk news and updates

Transcription

uk news and updates
UK NEWS
AND UPDATES
UK news and updates
UK Chair update
Summer Greetings,
Tim Kerr, FCA
I’m writing this after
an interesting sporting
weekend. Commiserations
to our Australian members
on the Ashes. Perhaps the
loss was an extra incentive
for the Wallabies to take
the Rugby Championship
title away from the All
Blacks?
In the spirit of rugby,
business and CA kinship, I’d like to open with reference
to the recent passing of Craig Norgate. Craig was our
Director of Transformation during the merger of the
Australian and New Zealand organisations into today’s
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.
Sadly Craig passed away at the young age of 50, as he
and his family were about to start their OE here in the
UK. For those of you who didn’t know Craig – “the boy
from the Naki” – he was a successful businessman, ardent
rugby supporter, and strong supporter of us in the UK. A
group of around 20 of us who knew Craig got together
on the 28th July to commemorate him. My thanks to Ian
Leggett for his words on the night. Our thoughts are with
Craig’s family: his wife Jane, sons Dylan and Jordan and
his daughter Alexandria.
From a delivery perspective I am thrilled to see the
continuation of a strong delivery programme across
CPD and social events (read the write-upon the
highly successful London to Paris bike ride later in the
newsletter). I am also looking forward to the launch
event for the Connectivity group soon – watch this space. Operationally, our camp mother Elizabeth, along with
Sadie, have been confirmed as permanent members of
the team, and will be adding an additional team member
to support the delivery of the UK operations. Final stages
of a new entity, bank accounts and other things are being
closed out as we move to be fully operational here in the
UK as a single entity. A few elements we’re all familiar
with, such as the legacy NZICA event registration page
and the underlying Salesforce setup, are dependent on
behind the scenes system replacements and upgrades. The charteredaccountantsanz.com website has a new
landing page which offers different versions for Australia,
NZ or overseas (see top right of web page to flip between
them). We want you all to support us in this “localisation”,
so if you have articles, stories, ideas or feedback please
feed them to Elizabeth.
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Moving on after the summer break, the programme of
events kicks into gear. The Presidential visit event on the
5th November at the Roof Gardens and the Christmas
Dinner on the 8th December may seem far away, but
will be very popular, so if you are keen to attend I would
encourage you to book early as places will be limited. Lee Whitney, our General Manager Australia & Overseas
Network, and Simon Grant, Head of Members will be here
in the UK in the last week of August. Simon and Lee are
part of our reporting structure for the UK group. They
are both great supporters of our group here, and are
working to build similar capability in the Asia regions. If
you are at the NZ tax update in London the last week of
August, please take the time to introduce yourself to them
both. If you are not attending the tax event but wish to
give feedback to Simon or Lee, please get in touch with
Elizabeth, myself or one of the other committee members.
Many of you will know, that if I speak at one of our events,
or here in this “column”, I often have a request for you,
our members. It would be remiss of me not continue
this tradition! We have had some analysis done on our
membership base, which has confirmed what we have
felt – that there is a huge number of members here in
the UK, particularly Australian that we are not engaged
with. Many may not know we exist or know what we offer.
Many get their CPD requirements met through work or
alternative sources. Some may have ventured away from
traditional accounting roles or may feel there is no need
to be part of an Australasian Chartered Accountants
community. Equally we know there is also a significant
number of people who are here in the UK but have not
updated their membership details with a UK address
and are still seen by us as residing back home, and won’t
be receiving these or other updates via email. We find
when people do engage and participate the feedback is
positive and their experience beneficial and rewarding. So please, if you are aware of other Australian or New
Zealander CA’s, ACA’s or AT’s out there please spread
the word. There is an added incentive that these “firsttimers” will receive their first CPD event for free.
Continue to enjoy the summer, long may it last, and the
travelling that many of you are doing. And remember it
is only 39 days to go till the Rugby World Cup as I write
this and we don’t want to be going into winter with the
Northern Hemisphere reigning supreme.
Best
Tim Kerr
Chair, UK Members Group
UK Council update
Dear Members,
I am writing this on a day which is overcast
but warm – some might say it’s the typical
English summer. I can honestly say that I
don’t think I will ever get used to the humidity
here in London.
Suranie Alwis FCA
Less can also be said about The Ashes –
having been on the receiving end of much
banter from my English colleagues. All I can
say is that I can’t wait for the Rugby World
Cup when the All Blacks and Wallabies can
show these northern hemisphere teams
how the game is played.
Membership
Recently, I had an interesting conversation
with a member who was questioning
whether there was any benefit in being
a member of Chartered Accountants
Australia and New Zealand. The one
question he kept repeating was “What
benefits do I get”?
I replied with a couple of benefits, which
were immediately apparent: being a CA
allows you to command a higher salary/
rate compared with some other finance
professionals and the events that the
UK team organise enable you to develop
your skills and develop your professional
networks to enhance your career at an
extremely good price compared to those
held by other organisations.
Needless to say, my reciprocal question
temporarily halted the conversation.
It is a hard question to answer. As a
member, I struggled to immediately
articulate any benefits beyond those
above. It is a requirement of any
professional, whether lawyer, treasurer,
company secretary, surveyor or surgeon to
be a member of a professional organisation.
The membership shows others that you
have been trained to be the best in your
field and that you are maintaining your skills
to remain so. However, what else would we
like our membership organisations to do
for us?
The teams in Sydney, Wellington and
London are mindful of this question. We
can build an organisation that is highly
esteemed, a leader in advocating policies
and practices and a desired qualification by
all in the finance profession. However, any
success we have in satisfying you depends
on your thoughts about the question and
letting the UK team or myself know what
you want.
Kind regards
Suranie Alwis FCA
UK Councillor
Chartered Accountants
Australia and New Zealand
While this was agreed and accepted, the
question was still asked. So in the end, I
turned the question around and asked the
member: “As an overseas member, what
would you like your organisation to do for
you?”
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UK news and updates
PD team update
After a short break in events held over summer, our Professional
Development Programme is back in full swing.
Jayson Poulton
On 30 June we held an Economic Update
at Australia House, which was the first
opportunity for some of our members
to visit the Grade II Listed building and
we welcomed those attending one of
our events for the first time. Whilst the
ever popular James Shugg was a last
minute cancellation, Ross Walker was
able to step in and present the update in
his place. Although we could not deliver
the Australasian focus as planned, we
encourage members to attend one of
the two sessions by Tony Alexander in
October, which will specifically focus on the
Australasian economies.
Our full-day event held in the last quarter
was an IT Risks / Fraud & Corruption event. ,
This was an eye-opener for those attending,
with real-life examples highlighting the
digital world threats we are potentially
exposing ourselves to as individuals and on
the business front. We also had Jennifer
MacKay back to provide a practical and
interactive evening on managing difficult
colleagues in the workplace.
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We are always looking for ways to
improve the delivery of our Professional
Development Programme. The success
of our recent LinkedIn Webinar encourages
us to look at delivering further sessions
in this format in the future. . We also
recently delivered the NZ Tax Update to
our members based in Edinburgh. While
the vast majority of our UK members are
based in and around London, this was a
great opportunity to reach out to those
outside. If you have any specific feedback
or suggestions to improve the programme,
please don’t hesitate to get in touch with
Elizabeth.
Check out the latest events at the end of
this newsletter and keep an eye out for the
fortnightly ‘UK Region Professional Training
& Events’ email for the 2016 events we will
soon be scheduling.
Jayson Poulton
PD team leader
Social team update
The past few months have been a busy period for events, with the London to
Paris bike ride in early July the undoubted highlight.
Jessica Dixon
This was the first time a ride to Paris had
been organised. Judging by our riders
first-hand accounts later in the newsletter
it was a resounding success. A big thank
you must go to Elizabeth and Sadie and all
our team leaders, for making it all possible.
Runners got in on the act too. Since the
last update, over 30 of our members took
part in the annual JP Morgan Corporate
Challenge. We had a record number of 51
registered to run, but unfortunately the
tube strike got in the way.
Less physical but just as enjoyable was
our second theatre evening of the year.
40 people attended a performance of the
acclaimed stage version of The Curious
Incident of the Dog in the Night Time, at the
Gielgud Theatre in the West End.
Finally, we have already planned our festive
celebration. The Institute’s Christmas
dinner will take place at The Easton in
Farringdon on the 8 December. Please join
us for a three course meal, fizz and wine,
and plenty of great company. The event is
now live and tickets can be purchased on
our website
As ever, we are on the lookout for new
events, so please get in touch if you have
feedback or ideas.
I hope to see you soon,
Jessica Dixon
Social team leader
Looking ahead, we are running a sold out
Wine Tasting at New Zealand House in the
first week of September and if you missed
out on tickets then hopefully you will be
able to join us at the Yager Bar on October
31, for a screening of the Rugby World Cup
final. Let’s hope for a Wallabies v All Blacks
show down.
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UK news and updates
UK Secretary’s update
I am very pleased and honoured to announce that after 17 years in the
contractor position of UK Secretary I have recently become an employee
and my new job title is UK Manager.
Elizabeth Welch
Sadie is now employed as UK Branch
Coordinator and we hope to have a third
person start within the next month.
Sadie will work from our new serviced
office in Tallis Street, near Blackfriars. I will
continue to work from home, but will go into
the office one day a week.
Contact details:
Elizabeth: 020 8466 7924
Sadie: 0203 666 5135
Office address: Room 408, Tallis House, 2
Tallis Street, London, EC4Y 0AB
Advertise internal positions - free
Is your firm looking for a chartered
accountant? Chartered Accountants
ANZ UK members can advertise internal
positions free on the fortnightly UK
member emails. Email Elizabeth.Welch@
charteredaccountantsanz.com or phone
020 8466 7924 for more information
Craig Norgate
It was with shock and sadness that
I heard of the death Craig Norgate.
He was a fabulous person to deal with, a
straight talker and a real supporter of CA
ANZ and the UK branch. He will be sadly
missed. Condolences to his family; Jane,
sons Dylan and Jordan and his daughter
Alexandria.
Meetings in NZ and Sydney
At the beginning of June I was invited to a
four day CA ANZ induction training session
organised by Lee Whitney our General
Manager Australia & Overseas Network,
in Sydney with the Relationship Directors
from Asia and a new staff member in Lee’s
team. It was extremely well organised and
we heard from staff from each team in the
Sydney and Wellington office. The wind
up day discussing how we could use this
information gave us plenty to think about.
I also had some very successful meetings
with staff in the Wellington office the
following week. I came back feeling very
positive with some great ideas.
Replacement certificates
A reminder that you can request a new
membership certificate with the new
branding to be sent to you at no charge.
It’s easy to order. For more information
you can visit our dedicated Certificates
webpage, which explains how to request
your new certificate.
Elizabeth Welch
UK Secretary
Upcoming nomination for
Chartered Accountants
ANZ Council vacancy
As advised to members in the Explanatory
Memorandum, members in Asia and Rest
of the World (which includes UK) now have
the opportunity to elect their member on
the Chartered Accountants Australia and
New Zealand Council. The elected nominee
will represent their members in the region
to provide input to the Board on strategic
direction, member issues as well as key
policy issues that impact members.
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Nominations open on 1 September and
will close on 1 October 2015. If you are
interested in nominating for this role, the
position description, code of conduct and
nomination form are available online.
The election process will run from
12 October to 6 November 2015 and
the term begins 1 January 2016.
Coming from Australia and New Zealand, where the
employment market is very ‘permanent centric’, you
may be feeling slightly nervous about the possibility of
contracting in the UK – don’t be. Contracting (often called
temping or freelancing) makes up a large percentage
of the job market in London, and Australian and New
Zealand professionals are in high demand to work in these
roles. There is no comparable contract job market in the
world to London, and this provides great opportunity for
those who do contract including career progression and
flexibility to travel.
Of the professionals Global assists to the UK, over 80% will
contract initially in London. Therefore it is extremely likely
that you’ll be working as a contractor in the UK market. One of the first things you’ll be confronted with is the
choice of how you would like to be paid. The most popular
option for higher earning contractors is to set themselves
up as a limited company. This approach has several
benefits; by nature it limits your personal liability as it is a
separate entity, it allows you to build your business brand,
agencies are often more amenable to paying a company
for services rather than having an individual on payroll
and of course tax and National Insurance benefits.
Incorporation of a limited company is a relative simple
and inexpensive process. You can do this yourself or your
accountant can do this for you. When you’re incorporating
your company, you will need to come up with a name
and it’s important to come up with something that will be
professional and help you sell yourself. Avoid anything
too quirky or potentially controversial. Given that your
business is a separate entity, it will also need its own bank
account and the quickest way to get this set up is usually
to use the bank you have a personal account with.
The ability to maximise your take home earnings is
certainly one of the most attractive things about working
through your own limited company. Possibly the best,
most simple advantage you can receive is access to the
flat rate VAT scheme. This was created to assist small
businesses’ (less than £150k turnover) cash flow and
allows you to pay a fixed rate of VAT to HMRC (14.5% in the
case of accountancy business) and retain the difference
from what you’ve charged your client (20%). This provides
an instant cash lift for your business and will form part of
your profits.
You should also receive an uplift in your rate from your
agency, often referred to as the limited company rate.
If you are employed by the agency, they’ll be required to
pay Employers’ National Insurance for you and they will
take that out of the rate that they’re going to pay you. If
the agency had a budget of £50k for the year for your
role, approximately £5k goes to HMRC for Employers’ NI
and you’d see £45k less tax and NI. If the agency pays
your limited company, they’re not responsible for your
Employers’ National Insurance so your company will see
the full £50k and if you pay yourself minimum wage,
you’ll pay no Employers’ National Insurance so you’re
immediately better off.
The other main tax advantages are the use of corporate
tax rates and the use of expenses, but the last budget
has seen some changes due to come in next tax year that
will make these less effective. An increase of 7.5% on tax
on dividends means anyone earning dividend income
up to the basic rate threshold of £32k will pay an extra
£2,400 in tax when compared with this year. You’ll still be
significantly better off than if you were employed directly
by the agency. Travel and subsistence expenses will be
eliminated next year but you’ll still be able to claim for
things like laptops, phones and professional memberships.
Despite the fact that as an accountant you may feel like
you should be doing your own books, it is a good idea to
source a specialist accountant to do this for you. While
you may be comfortable with the financial accounting
involved with running your company, the rules around
what can and can’t be done can be complex as well as the
various submission dates. Outsourcing this to an external
accountant is probably going to be cheaper for you when
you consider what your time is worth.
Looking to contract in London, or already are? Get in
touch with Global to discuss their limited accounting
service – Global Tax and Accountancy (GTA) and how
they may be able to assist you.
Deb Brown
General Manager
[email protected]
020 7643 2864
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UK news and updates
London to Paris bike ride
The 2015 London to Paris was a really special event. Here the organisers and team leaders give an
update with their highlights.
TEAM 3
I went to a comedy club once where they pulled a Chartered
Accountant onto the stage. They asked him about the most
daring thing he had ever done. He replied ‘I left the office
once at five to five’. Well I thought he was funny. The thought
that accountants and their friends are’ just like the rest of us’
has stayed with me ever since and I was able to put this to
the test when I joined a group of them cycling to Paris earlier
this summer.
Day 1 and I soon discovered ‘leading the group’ meant take
part in vague discussions at every fork in the road before
deciding which one to take. Paris seemed a long way away
at certain points heading out of London. Eventually though
the ever dependable Pawan took over navigating duties
using a combination of a gizmo on his phone, his memory
of the route and some help from others, notably Chris,
Colin and Mas who had also ridden this way before. As we
headed towards Sussex the sun shone and confidence
grew. The group began to bond into a tight unit as we
drifted into Newhaven.
Day 2 saw us leave the ferry like the well drilled machine
we had become. We decided to wait until the cars had gone
before starting out properly. Heads down, in full lycra and at
pace we raced the first 50 yards to the terminal exit only to
find that we had been locked in as all the cars had gone!
After negotiating our freedom with the relevant French
security forces we set off for Gournay en Bray at full tilt. For
some reason we had swapped Lindsay and Anne-Lise for
Tracey and Dave but it didn’t matter as we gobbled up the
miles (kilometres) bidding anybody and everybody we met a
loud ‘Bonjour’ in a way that was frankly completely over the
top. Chris lobbied successfully for a café stop at Mesnil even
though we were well behind the clock. We left the route and
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settled in for a coffee in a café opposite the church in
a lovely village that kept us amused for the best part of
an hour.
By now we were very late. Neil and the support car had
long gone from the rendezvous site at Forges les Eaux but
had left lots of water by the road. We drank then carried on.
Dave unfortunately picked up a knee injury which ruled him
out of day three but the sight of a man cycling up a hill into
Gournay on one leg was remarkable and will linger in our
memory. The evening was brilliant, rounded off by a beer
or two in the company of some locals who took a real shine
to Gill.
Day 3. Who dares win’s.
The day started with Mas blowing up his tyre. Literally.
Gournay has not heard a sound like that since the latter
days of World War 2. Repaired and undeterred we started
out, this time with Lindsay and Ana-Lise instead of Tracey
and Dave, (what is it with those four?), across beautiful
countryside fully confident (not) of making Paris, the group
photograph, the celebratory champagne and for some,
making the train home.
We smoked it. All of it, together and that’s what made it
great.
Marie started the day asking what it was about hills that so
excited cyclists as she struggled up them trying not to get
dropped. By the end, when we had joined with one of the
group 2 teams, she was not getting dropped by anyone.
Mark simply powered up each hill clearly enjoying the
experience although not so much the coming down. He was
keen to put his feet in the river so he could say he was ‘in
seine’…..get it?! . Colin had a mechanical that required some
kind of heroism keeping up on the hills with no gears to help,
Pawan got the gizmo fired up and navigated us through
the outskirts of Paris. Mas kept encouraging everyone and
right at the end eased past me on the final climb into Paris
in a way I have not forgiven, er I mean forgotten. Lindsay’s
on road maintenance skills fixed Chris’s mechanical and
Ana-Lise won half a banana, courtesy of Colin, for….’ being
Lindsay’s partner’. More than that, she was our partner, in
our group. No mechanicals necessary for unflappable Gill’s
brand new bike.
the people on the ride. And as Graham says, France is a
wonderful place to cycle in.
Thanks to Elizabeth and Graham for the organisation and
the support from Elizabeth, Neil and Kate. The lunch by the
Seine was outstanding. Thanks to the wonderful people in
the team I was in. It was a fantastic three days. And on the
fourth day I slept.
• The alfresco lunch put on by Elizabeth and Kate by the
If you are reading this and thinking of doing something
similar in the future. Do. Oh, and, if it’s in the company of
Accountants and their friends, so much the better.
Mike Davies team leader T3
With my 60th on the (very near ) horizon cycling to Paris
seemed a good way to prove to myself that 60 is only a
number- albeit one with that comes with a bus pass.
I was a bit apprehensive about the Paris ride to start with as
in previous years the rides (with the Institute) from London
to Brighton had been a bit of a struggle, so I decided to put
in some training. I did about 1,500 miles over the 6 months
leading up to this ride. The training really paid off - not only
was the ride to Paris a comfortable one but I managed to
lose about 7 kg while training.
The ride itself was one of the most enjoyable things I’ve ever
done, not only the pleasure of cycling though such beautiful
countryside but the great company and the team spirit of
A few highlights for me were:
• The amazing route Graham came up with through Sussex
• Diverting to a French town on the second day for a cold
beer in the town square
• The dinner in Gournay en Bray - great food appropriately
lubricated with local grog
side of Seine
• Seeing the Eiffel Tower as we came into Paris
If you are tempted to try the London to Paris ride - go for
it! But do put in some serious training first - however you
would only need to do as much as I did if, like me, you were
starting from a very low standard of fitness. In particular
make sure you do some long rides such as the excellent
training rides Graham and Lance organised in the months
leading up to the main ride.
Chris Welch back leader T3
TEAM 2A
In 2012 I completed my first ride to Brighton after buying
a hybrid bike two years earlier. Prior to that ride, I had
not really ridden much since school days. Through doing
the ride I got to know the Welch family more. In 2013 Liz’e
Marett, who had organised the previous ride was no
longer living in the UK. Elizabeth asked if I could navigate
along with Lance Welch. I always try to ride a route first
before leading others on it. The next year through a work
colleague I got to ride to Paris on roughly the same route
we took this year. Lance and I also led the ride in 2014.
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UK news and updates
Highlights of London to Brighton were always riding on
quiet country roads, the social break at the Cowdray on
the way and a meal in Brighton at the end with a welldeserved drink. During the lunch after the 2014 NZICA
Brighton trip both Elizabeth and Chris spoke of how great
it would be to ride to Paris. I piped up to say I knew a
great route and some places to stay. In January of this
year Elizabeth and I went over some ideas and Elizabeth
went on to organise all the logistics for the trip.
At a Sunday tennis session in February, I mentioned to
some friends about an idea to cycle to Paris and they
were very keen to join in. Four ended up in my team:
Chris Paton (NZ), Sam Beatson (Wales), Francois Nagel
(SA) and James Wood (England). Another friend Pawan
(India) was part of team 3. We renamed our team on
the way to lunch on Day one at the Cowdray, from Team
2 to Team 2 Awesome as it sounded very corny. The
Chain Gang was another suggestion. Also in the team
were Tracey Lee and her partner Dave (both NZ). Two
Pauls one from OZ and one from NZ, Blair (NZ) and
Matt Parkes (NZ). Matt along with Sam were possibly
two of the fastest riders in the whole ride. Both recently
finished the London 100 in less than 5 hours. Francois
was not too far behind at 5 hours 35 mins.
Signing up to the Paris ride this year motivated me to
buy a road bike and really train for the ride. In March,
Lance Welch and I with two other mates rode to New
Haven to sort a route and a place for our first night
evening meal. We then organised three official training
rides to Whitstable and did Brighton twice. The training
rides were a great opportunity to meet people prior
to the Paris ride. Other casually organised rides were
joining with Chris and Lance Welch on a Kent ride. Chris
and I rode to Faversham prior to the official Whitstable
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ride to sort a decent route. My mates and I rode to
Hastings (80 miles of never ending hills), Dover, 119
miles, and our longest training ride. Plus many training
rides into Surrey and around Richmond Park.
The highlight of the ride for me was the fun of getting to
know great people and seeing amazing French country
side. You soon realise why France has The Tour; the
roads in my opinion are the best cycling roads in the
world. I was pleased that I managed to navigate the
whole way just using maps
London to Paris has become a tradition now with two
rides completed. I am already considering what we may
attempt next year…
Graham Ormsby
Team leader and route organiser
Having been on a ride with the Institute in 2014, I was
keen to sign up again for a new foray into European
territory. It was a pleasure to ride with the wonderfully
talented group of cyclists (and great bunch of people)
that were CA ANZ’s London to Paris Team 2 AWESOME.
Particular highlights for me were:
• Our gracious leader Graham casting aside 21st
century navigational technology, and pulling out a
stack of maps printed out on A4 sheets every time we
got to a junction.
• One of the group needing to stop each time to pick up
said stack of A4 sheets from the road every time it fell
from Graham’s pocket (often).
• The brilliant attitude and competence of our support
team. The car boot lunch, meeting us in a random
path along the banks of the Seine was a culinary
highlight of the trip.
• Tracey’s endless supply of quality nuts.
TEAM 1
• Our commitment to pub stops en route.
Group 1 had an enjoyable ride together. As a smaller
group (6) we had a great time with everyone getting to
know each other, riding as a team. Highlights included
the endless wheat fields of northern France, pain au
chocolat in Marines (a random French town) and the
adventurous route on day 3 into Paris (petrol stations
are great for refuelling cyclists too).
We were joined by two cyclists for a part of Day 2’s ride
from Dieppe to Gournay en Bray. They were amazed
that we weren’t a group from a cycling club – but
instead a professional association whose members
were keen to get out in their numbers and complete a
fantastic sporting challenge. Says a lot for the great
spirit we have within our membership. Am looking
forward to next year’s cycling event already!
Matt Parkes, back leader, Team 2 Awesome
TEAM 2B
When mum first mentioned the idea of leading a
group from London to Paris, I jumped at the
opportunity. When we reached a total of 40 people I
realised what I’d let myself in for.
I took half of the Middle team which was a mixture of
accountants and friends and a good spread of ability
and power within the group. Mum named us Two Fast.
We set off with a good pace and worked well together
throughout with a real focus on teamwork. My highlight
was on Day 3 where we really found our formation and
raced towards to Paris. I was also very proud of Dean
who stepped up to be my ‘Back Lead’ and kept the
group together.
I found that the ride helped me improve my
organisation and leadership skills, especially as my
team helped me to improve and we had great fun along
the way.
Lance Welch Team leader 2B and cycle co-organiser
Overall the ride was very well organised, friendly people
to ride with and champagne under the Eiffel Tower, what
else could you ask for? Definitely a highlight of summer!
Andrew & Chelley Clare team leaders Team 1
The numbers for the Brighton ride had been dwindling
each year and so in 2014 Chris and I asked the Brighton
riders if they would be interested in a ride to Paris. It was
a unanimous yes. Having someone who had done the
ride and knew the route was essential, so when Graham
Ormsby said he could help I knew this would be a success.
Lance, Graham and I worked well and I knew I could leave
them to answer all the technical questions, organise the
routes and the training sessions while I set up the logistics.
I drove my S Max and I was fortunate to talk Neil
Thompson, whose wife Gill was riding, into driving
his. This gave us two support vehicles to carry all
the luggage, food and water (and those forgotten
passports on occasions). Kate Walsh whose husband
Damian was riding agreed to join me as a support
person. Graham, Lance, Andrew and Chelley Clare,
Mike Davies and Chris Welch all volunteered to be team
leaders and we roped in Matt Parkes and Dean Welch
at the start of the ride. Without everyone’s’ help it would
not have been the success it was. Huge thank you to
everyone.
11
UK news and updates
Forty one people joined the ride, with 38 riders and
three support consisting of:
Team 1:
Andrew Clare, Chelley Clare, Pierre Jean De Villiers, David
James, Craig Leyland, Damian Walsh
Team 2A:
Sam Beaton, Tracey Lee, Dave Lewis, Paul McDrury, Paul
McKechnie, Francois Nagel, Graham Ormsby, Matthew
Parkes, Chris Paton, Blair Simonsen, James Woods
Team 2B:
Nick: Ambrose, Tricia Daly, Andrew Keys, Sally McBride, Brett
Ramsey, Zonika Ramsey, Colleen Stuart, Kieran Fanner,
Josh Lethbridge, Dean and Lance Welch. Anne-Lise
Christensen and Lindsay Coll joined for day two.
Team 3:
Mark Broadhead, Anne-Lise Christensen, Lindsay Coll,
Mike Davies, Maria Lee, Pawan Sharma, Colin Swinburn,
Massimo Tamblini, Gill Thompson, Chris Welch
Support:
Neil Thompson, Kate Walsh, Elizabeth Welch
This has been my favourite event to be involved with. The
riders were such an amazing group of people. Not only
fit but they also worked well together as team players.
There were many in each of the groups who could have
gone much faster but they rode together as teams, always
encouraging everyone. I was so proud of everyone’s efforts:
seeing Dave cycling with determination on one leg when his
knee gave way near the end of the second day and the look
on everyone’s faces at the Eiffel Tower made it all worth it.
12
SOME OTHER HIGHLIGHTS
• Booking into the French hotel – the owner spoke no
English and we spoke no French. Watching her gush over
one of our guys when he took a double room by himself
and her reaction when we suggested a guy and a girl not
married share a room – so bad it was funny!
• Watching the reactions as riders came round a corner on
the cycle lane in France and saw Kate and I had set up a
picnic for them (sorry you missed this team 1)
• The first glass of wine when we arrived at the Premiere
Inn (the next three were pretty good as well)
• Everyone giving a short intro about themselves and
why they joined the ride at the restaurant plus the lovely
French food and drink that night
• The two days virtually nonstop sleep I had after the ride
– sheer relief that it had gone without a major hitch
We will be organising something next year, maybe a
repeat London to Paris. Other suggestions received so
far are: London to Belgium, Eiffel Tower to somewhere in
Europe, London canal ways, Land’s End to John o’ Groats,
Cambodia to Thailand( although these last two are 10+ day
rides and ideally three day rides will work better for many of
us). If you have any suggestions please send them though to
me. I encourage you to join us next year.
Elizabeth Welch, organiser
The Anatomy of
a LinkedIn Profile
The two things I hear most in relation to LinkedIn are ‘I don’t understand it’
or ‘I think my profile’s ok, but I’m not getting any (recruiter) calls’
Julie Holmwood
The truth is, if your profile is good you’ll be
getting lots of recruiter calls, mostly for jobs
that really interest you. If you’re not, your
profile needs anything from a few minor
modifications to a total rewrite
Here are three essentials for an effective
LinkedIn profile:
Photograph: You must have a photograph,
it must be of you (business ready) and it
goes without saying that you shouldn’t have
cropped your spouse, your dog or your
neighbour’s hamster off a casual snapshot.
Your LinkedIn photo is the first chance a
prospective new employer gets to ‘see
you’. If a picture speaks a thousand words,
what is yours saying to the person standing
between you and that new job?
Headline: This is one of the areas most
people get wrong. Your headline can be –
but doesn’t have to be – your current job
title. If you do use your current job title within
your headline, you might want to adapt it
slightly to also incorporate what you do.
Titles like Partner, Director and Head of …
might look great on your CV, but they
are not effective LinkedIn headlines
without context.
For example: ‘Partner at XYZ Accountancy’
would work better if you edited it to read
‘Partner in Boutique Accountancy Practice
specialising in Mergers and Acquisitions |
Head of International M&A Practice’.
‘Finance Director’ becomes more powerful
as a job magnet when you edit it to say
‘Finance Director for £43m International
Hotel Chain spanning 59 Hotels and
23,000 staff in 34 countries’.
Summary: Lots of people miss this section
off entirely, or write it in a way that doesn’t
summarise their experience so it speaks
to the job they want. A good summary is
a letter to your perfect employer, for your
perfect job, explaining (in 2000 characters
or less) exactly why you are the one they
need to be speaking to.
The key to writing a good summary is to
project yourself forwards in time to your
perfect next job, in your ideal company… and
then pan back through all your experience
to identify the key points that make you a
match.
Don’t expect people to read between the
lines (they won’t) or expect them to know
your industry well enough to second guess
the things you didn’t say. All searches begin
as a computer generated quest (if it isn’t in
there, you won’t make the list of results) and
the majority are conducted by researchers
or assistants who have a list that relates to
the job in one hand and your profile in the
other. Many ticks make a yes. The rest fall
foul to the back key and the next person on
the search results gets their turn to
be viewed.
Of course, the other sections are
important too, but if you’re wondering
where to start, these three would get my
immediate attention
If you want to find out more about making
your profile effective please connect with
me on LinkedIn.
13
UK news and updates
Your Library
One of the distinct benefits of being a member of
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand is your
specialist Library and all the great things it has to offer.
Whether you are looking for the latest insights on smart
leadership, an update on accounting standards, or the
lowdown on business psychology, your library has it all.
With articles, eBooks and a wealth of inspiring and
informative online links, our resources are all specifically
selected with Chartered Accountants in mind.
Need a specific topic researched? Our specialist Business
Information Librarians are here to help you find information
on any subject you may be looking at. Contact us at
[email protected]
Want a monthly update on the latest articles, links and
eBooks delivered straight to your inbox? The What’s New
Bulletin showcases emerging trends, hot topics and current
issues relevant to business and the accounting profession.
So how do I access the library services?
It’s easy!
Our user-friendly, online catalogue can be found at
charteredaccountantsanz.com/library
And these quality services are provided at no extra cost to
members.
Are you thinking of retiring soon?
Get teaching!
Now is the time to pass on your skills and encourage new entrants to the accountancy profession.
Retirement has given me time to reflect on how accountancy
provided me with a platform for all the varied business
and financial roles I have undertaken. Whilst there has
been enormous technological change since I entered the
profession in the 1960s the underlying accounting concepts
and fundamentals have remained the same. Accountancy
still needs to be taught in schools and colleges and this is
where you come in.
Accountancy A Level (AS and A2) has just about the lowest
pass rate of any subject. There are two reasons why this is
the case; 1) unlike school core subjects accountancy is entirely
new to students, 2) teachers are not normally qualified
accountants and struggle with the subject themselves.
Schools and colleges could do with your help for a few
days or a few hours each week teaching the subject. I have
been doing this myself and the results for the students are
very good (3 times better than the national average). And,
students who are trained in accountancy, tend to do better
14
in other subjects because they develop a more structured
approach.
What’s in it for you? Well, of course the pay is always useful
to supplement your pension. However, teaching is a very
special privilege where you enjoy being able to directly
help people who want to get on and encourage them in
their careers. It is certainly the most satisfying role I have
undertaken and I learn new teaching skills and techniques
every day. The professional teaching staff appreciate my
subject knowledge and are always willing to help. Students
respond very well to an older person who understands their
subject and can explain things simply.
So, if you are the sort of accountant who can explain
financial and management accounting at A2 level and
wants to put a bit back write to your local schools and
colleges – they might need you.
Clive Marsh
UK Member
UPCOMING DRAFT CALENDAR
Please note that some of the following events have not been finalised and details may change.
May
September
10
Wine Tasting – SOLD OUT
6.15–10.30pm
25
Book Club
6.30–8.30pm
October
06
Australasian economic update – breakfast
1.5 hour PD
7.30– 9am
06
Australasian economic update – evening
2 hour PD
6.30 – 8.30pm
08
Pan Professional Lunch
22
Impress everyone you meet
29
Book Club
6.30–8.30pm
31
Screening of the World Cup rugby final
3 – 6.00pm
05
Presidential Visit
7pm – 12.30am
07
New UK GAAP/FRS 102 first time adoption flyer
7 hours
9am – 5.30pm
12
Forensics
2 hours PD
6.30–8.30pm
26
Book Club
6.30–8.30pm
Christmas dinner celebration
7– 10.30pm
12.30 – 2.30pm
2 hour PD
6.30 – 8.30pm
November
December
08
March 2016
5 or 12 - date
TBC
Joint Conference
8 hours
8.30am – 5.30pm
HOW TO REGISTER FOR AN EVENT
Book and pay online at www.events.nzica.com or phone Sadie Massey 020 8466 7680
You need to book for all events.
With the exception of CFO & FD breakfast meetings, prepayment is also essential.
An additional £5 fee will be charged for late payment of CPD events.
15
UK news and updates
OTHER ORGANISATIONS’ EVENTS
For information about events you can attend with other organisations see contact details below.
ICAI: http://london.charteredaccountants.ie/
ICAS: https://www.icas.com/events To register at GAA rate email Jess [email protected]
ICAEW:http://www.icaew.com/index.cfm/route/123504/icaew_ga/en/Home/ICAEW_worldwide/UK/ICAEW_UK
SAICA: https://www.saica.org.uk
CIPFA: http://www.cipfa.org.uk/regions
CIPFA South East http://www.cipfa.org.uk/regions/se/events.cfm
KEA: http://www.keanewzealand.com/index.html
NZ High Commission website: www.nzembassy.com/uk
NZ High Commission Facebook: http://www.facebook.com/nzhcuk
NZ Society: http://nzsociety.co.uk
NZ Business Women’s Network http://nzwomen.co.uk/events
Ngati Ranana: www.ngatiranana.co.uk
SWAT UK (50% discount for NZICA members) http://www.swat.co.uk/NewZealandInstituteofCharteredAccountants.aspx
Members living in Scotland may also be interested in Business School at Edinburgh University courses http://www.
business-school.ed.ac.uk/about/school-events
BOOK CLUB
The group meets on the last Thursday of the month at 6.30pm in EC4. If you would like to attend, the next meeting
is 25 Sept. Please contact [email protected] or phone 020 8466 7924
16
UNITED kINgDom
PRoFESSIoNAL
DEVELoPmENT
AUsTrAlAsIAN UpDATE –
brEAKFAsT sEssIoN
VENUE
National Australia Bank group,
88 Wood Street,
London EC2V 7QQ
DATE & TIME
Tuesday 6 october
8am – 9.30am
Registrations from 7.45am
CosT
member
Standard
•
•
•
•
•
WhyAuckland’shousingmarketkeepsrising
Theroleofconstructioninsupportinggrowth
Whymigrationflowsareatrecordlevels
ProspectsforinterestratesandtheNZD
ImpactofChina’seconomicproblems.
Australia
• Implicationsofthenewnormalforironore,goal,LNGprices
• HousingmarketprospectsandtheroleofChina
• VulnerabilitytoChina’sslowdown.
prEsENTEr
Tony Alexander
£10
£30
CbD hoUrs 2
VIsIT NzICA.CoM/EVENTs
To rEgIsTEr oNlINE
AND yoU wIll rECEIVE
INsTANT CoNFIrMATIoN
oF yoUr plACE.
0615-52
New zealand
TonyAlexanderhasbeenemployedasChiefEconomistatNewZealand’s
secondlargestbank,theBankofNewZealand(BNZ),since1994with
responsibilitiesincludinginformingseniormanagementabouteconomic
developmentsandprospects,risksandopportunitiesandprovisionofservices
forthebank’sstaffandclientbase.
Tonyisanaccomplishedpublicspeaker.HewritesanddistributestheBNZ
WeeklyOverviewwithextensivelinksfromotherwebsites.
Tony’smissionistohelpbusinesspeopleandhouseholdersmake
informedfinancialdecisionsbydiscussingtheeconomyinalanguagethey
can understand.
UNITED kINgDom
PRoFESSIoNAL
DEVELoPmENT
AUsTrAlAsIAN UpDATE –
EVENINg sEssIoN
VENUE
7thfloor,
AssociationBritishInsurers,
51GreshamStreet,
EC2V7Hq
DATE & TIME
Tuesday 6 october
6.30 –8.30pm
Registrations from 6.00pm
•
•
•
•
•
WhyAuckland’shousingmarketkeepsrising
Theroleofconstructioninsupportinggrowth
Whymigrationflowsareatrecordlevels
ProspectsforinterestratesandtheNZD
ImpactofChina’seconomicproblems.
Australia
• Implicationsofthenewnormalforironore,goal,LNGprices
• HousingmarketprospectsandtheroleofChina
• VulnerabilitytoChina’sslowdown.
prEsENTEr
Tony Alexander
CosT
member
Standard
New zealand
£30
£40
CbD hoUrs 2
TonyAlexanderhasbeenemployedasChiefEconomistatNewZealand’s
secondlargestbank,theBankofNewZealand(BNZ),since1994with
responsibilitiesincludinginformingseniormanagementabouteconomic
developmentsandprospects,risksandopportunitiesandprovisionofservices
forthebank’sstaffandclientbase.
Tonyisanaccomplishedpublicspeaker.HewritesanddistributestheBNZ
WeeklyOverviewwithextensivelinksfromotherwebsites.
0615-52
VIsIT NzICA.CoM/EVENTs
To rEgIsTEr oNlINE
AND yoU wIll rECEIVE
INsTANT CoNFIrMATIoN
oF yoUr plACE.
Tony’smissionistohelpbusinesspeopleandhouseholdersmake
informedfinancialdecisionsbydiscussingtheeconomyinalanguagethey
can understand.
Pan accountancy lunch
The Mansion House, London EC4N 8BH
Thursday 08 October 2015, 12:30 for 13:00 – 14:30
Dress code: Business dress
Price:
£85 per person incl VAT – includes reception drinks and lunch with wine
followed by coffee
Join us for this special lunch in order to recognise and celebrate the contribution of the accountancy
profession in the success of the City of London.
The lunch offers you a great opportunity to entertain valued clients, guests and staff, and to generate
new business contacts in the magnificent surroundings of The Mansion House.
The lunch is organised by the ICAEW London and South East Region, and the London Society of
Chartered Accountants, in conjunction with:






Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland – England & Wales Area
Chartered Accountants Ireland – London Society
Association of Chartered Certified Accountants Central London Network
Chartered Institute of Management Accountants
Institute of Financial Accountants
Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand
Main sponsor
Seamless is an online food ordering and billing service
that makes it easy to feed the office.
Speakers
Andrew Ratcliffe, ICAEW President
High profile guest speaker (tbc)
The Rt. Worshipful The Lord Mayor Locum Tenens
Venue
The Mansion House is the home and office of the Lord Mayor of the City of London. It was built in
the mid-18th century, in the then fashionable Palladian style, on the site previously occupied by the
Stocks Market. The main reception room, where the lunch will take place, is the columned ‘Egyptian
Hall’, which was so named because the architect George Dance the Elder used an arrangement of
columns deemed to be ‘Egyptian’ by the Roman architect Vitruvius. No Egyptian motifs were
employed. The Mansion House is home to the Harold Samuel collection of Dutch and Flemish 17th
century paintings.
BUSINESS WITH CONFIDENCE
icaew.com/lsca
EffEctivE
communication
– GEttinG Your
mEssaGE across
LEADErsHIP AND
BUsINEss sTrATEgy
• Gettingacomplexmessageacrossprecisely(throughemailandface-to
face discussion)
VENUE
association of British insurers
7th floor
51 Gresham street
London, Ec2v 7HQ
DATE & TIME
• Communicating/persuadingotherstopromoteaction
• Workingwithdifferentcommunicationstyles
PrEsENTErs
AndyBoundsisanexpertathelpingpeoplecommunicatebetter.
tuesday 22 october 2015
6.30–8.30pm
Registrations from 6pm
Hehasworkedin30+countriesandhiscustomersincludesomeofworld’s
largestandmostfamouscompanies.
CosT
Andy’sbooksoncommunicationareallinternationalbest-sellers.Hisfirstone
TheJellyEffectwasonlykeptoffAmazon’s#1spotbyHarryPotter!
member
standard
£30
£40
2 CPD HoUrs
VIsIT NzICA.CoM/EVENTs
To rEgIsTEr oNLINE
AND yoU wILL rECEIVE
INsTANT CoNfIrMATIoN
of yoUr PLACE.
0515-58
CoNTENT
HehasbeenawardedthetitleBritain’sSalesTraineroftheYearand–closerto
hishome–LiverpoolBusinessPersonalityoftheYear.
Mostimportantly,he’sanexpertatgivingpeoplesimpletipstheycanuseto
improvecommunicationsimmediately.Afewofourmembershavealready
seenhim.Theychangedtheircommunicationstyleasaresult…andit’salready
broughtthemlotsofsuccess!
UNITED KINGDOM
2015 PRESIDENTIAL
DINNER
VENUE
The Roof Gardens,
99 Kensington High Street,
Kensington,
London, W8 5SA
DATE & TIME
5th November 2015
7pm for a 7.30pm sit down – 1am
COST
Member
Standard
£40
£50
CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS AUSTRALIA AND NEW ZEALAND
INVITES YOU TO ATTEND THE PRESIDENTIAL DINNER
The Roof Gardens is a unique London venue with 1.5 acres of gardens and
views over London. It has long been one of London’s most spectacular and
extraordinary landmarks. Originally above Derry and Tom’s department store
which opened in 1933 it is as glamorous as it comes. Come and help us
party in style.
We will honour our recent fellows, newly qualified, long serving members.
Certificates will be presented by Chartered Accountants Australia and
New Zealand President, Fred Hutchings FCA.
Includes
• Dinner
• Drinks until midnight
• Entertainment
0815-16
Fred Hutchings FCA
Chartered Accountants Australia
and New Zealand President
VISIT NZICA.COM/EVENTS
TO REGISTER ONLINE
AND YOU WILL RECEIVE
INSTANT CONFIRMATION
OF YOUR PLACE.
NEW UK GAAP/FRS
102 – FIRST-TIME
ADOPTION
FINANCIAL ACCOUNTING
AND REPORTING
VENUE
Association of British Insurers
7th floor
51 Gresham Street
London
EC2V 7HQ
For financial years starting on or after 1 January 2015, all non-listed entities
in the UK and Republic of Ireland are required to adopt either FRS101, FRS 102
or full IFRS – together with retrospective restatement of the comparatives.
This means UK GAAP has been replaced in its entirety.
The practical and financial reporting implications of transitioning to a new
framework are vast, and will affect all entities which have applied UK GAAP
in the past. Gain insight into the effects of the changes in accounting and
financial reporting in the UK environment.
Topics covered include:
DATE & TIME
9.30am–5.30pm
Registrations from 9am
• understandingthenewregimeintheUKandhowFRS102andIFRSfitin
• thesignificantchangesinaccountingforkeytopics,providingacomparison
between UK GAAP, FRS 102 and IFRS, such as goodwill and other intangibles,
PPE, investment properties, leases, financial instruments, business
combinations and deferred tax
COST
• first-timeadoptionofFRS102(orIFRS),detailingthespecificrequirements
entities need to apply, including:
Saturday 7
November 2015
Early bird: on or before
7 September 2015
−
−
CA ANZ and
GAA members
£100
Standard:
*Long-distance
£130
£50
−
−
From 8 September 2015
CA ANZ and
GAA members:
£130
Standard:
*Long-distance
£150
£65
*Long-distance (for members who
live more than 100 miles from venue)
To register for the long-distance
discount phone 020 8466 7680.
7 CPD HOURS
VISIT NZICA.COM/EVENTS
TO REGISTER ONLINE
AND YOU WILL RECEIVE
INSTANT CONFIRMATION
OF YOUR PLACE.
0515-52
New UK GAAP/FRS 102 – first-time adoption
retrospective restatements including restating the comparative year’s
P&L and balance sheet
specific reporting requirements to perform on transition date,
including reviews and remeasurements that will affect assets,
liabilities and equity
preparation of the opening FRS 102/IFRS balance sheet, reconciliations
of equity and the restated P&L account
optional relief provided from retrospective application for certain items
• FRS101TheReducedDisclosureFramework–whichentitiesqualify,andthe
relief that is provided by FRS 101
• newfinancialstatementsrequiredaspartofFRS102/IFRSfromold
UK GAAP.
PRESENTERS
Hermien Bonthuys is a CA (SA) and ACA, Deloitte alumnus and technical
specialist in IFRS and new UK GAAP. She is one of the founding directors of
www.GetsmartFinancialTraining.com, a reputable CPD training and consulting
firm in the UK that brings a fresh approach to old-school, often-a-bit-bland,
CPD training. Her courses are renowned for their technically sound application
of principles, relevant illustrative examples and interactive settings.
UNITED KINGDOM
PROFESSIONAL
DEVELOPMENT
FORENSIC ACCOUNTING
VENUE
200 Aldersgate
Aldersgate Street
London EC1A 4HD
DATE & TIME
Tuesday 12 November
6.30–8.30pm
Registrations from 6pm
COST
Member
Standard
£30
£40
0715-24
CPD HOURS 2
VISIT NZICA.COM/EVENTS
TO REGISTER ONLINE
AND YOU WILL RECEIVE
INSTANT CONFIRMATION
OF YOUR PLACE.
CONTENT
•
•
•
•
•
•
Profileofafraudster
Howtospotafraudster
Commontypesoffraud
Howtospotfraud1
Useofdataanalyticstodetectandpreventfraud
Whattodowhenyoudodiscoverfraud?
PRESENTER
Andrew DurantisaSeniorManagingDirectorintheForensic&Litigation
ConsultingsegmentatFTIConsulting,andisbasedinLondon.Andrewhas
workedintheforensicaccountingsectorforover20years,andinthistime
hehasgainedexperienceinvestigatingarangeofissuesincludingfinancial
statementfraud,stockandotherassetlosses,theftofconfidentialdata,
procurementandsalesfraud,corruptionandbribery,andinvestmentfraud.
Healsohasextensiveexperienceincarryingoutduediligenceandasset
tracingassignments.
UNITED KINGDOM
CHRISTMAS DINNER
CELEBRATION
CHRISTMAS DINNER 2015
VENUE
The Easton, 22 Easton Street,
London, WC1X 0DS
DATE & TIME
8th December 2015
7-10.30pm
Registrations 6.15pm for a 7pm start
COST
Member
Standard
£25
£40
CHRISTMAS DINNER CELEBRATION
CHRISTMAS COMES JUST ONCE A YEAR,
LET’S GET TOGETHER FOR SOME HOLIDAY CHEER!
Includes:
• Sparkling wine on arrival
• Three Course Christmas dinner
• Two large glasses of wine
• Festive spirit
0815-10
Numbers are limited so please register early to avoid disappointment
VISIT NZICA.COM/EVENTS
TO REGISTER ONLINE
AND YOU WILL RECEIVE
INSTANT CONFIRMATION
OF YOUR PLACE.