This month we celebrate International Women’s Day with interviews and features to inspire women professionals in the region, which still lags the rest of the world considerably for gender equality.
In our main interview we meet trailblazing audit and assurance partner Jazla Hamad FCCA, who in 2022 became the first Emirati female partner in Deloitte Middle East’s 96-year history. Having joined the firm in 2008 at a time when female auditors were scarce in UAE, she highlights the importance of good mentors in her ascent and calls for more champions of gender parity across the region.
We also hear from women members employed in the corporate sector in Pakistan, Sri Lanka and the UAE, who share their experiences and advice for younger female finance professionals looking to advance up the career ladder.
On the tech front, we look at how fintech start-ups are helping the underbanked in Sri Lanka, and the UAE’s latest moves to cultivate its position as a crypto hub, while our deep dive into the Middle East and South Asia findings of ACCA’s Global talent trends 2024 survey reveals among other things that respondents from these regions are more concerned about the impact of technology on their jobs than their peers anywhere else in the world.
Sustainability and its reporting is never off the agenda, and this month we look at the reaction to the issue in US politics, the guidelines being developed by the Taskforce on Nature-Related Financial Disclosures, and a report from ACCA about how to build ESG into deals due diligence.
Meanwhile, the busy season for accountants continues apace. If you do get any downtime, we have some light reading on offer. We explore the concept of Swiftonomics as singer-songwriter superstar Taylor Swift brings some financial sparkle to the Asia leg of her current tour. Find out the impact she can have on local economies.
