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. 2 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?” 3 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. 4 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. 5 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. 6 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 7 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 8 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. 9 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 10 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.