As the year draws to a close, we look back at some of AB’s monthly interviews with members in a whole range of roles, in areas as diverse as food delivery, national infrastructure, financial services, heritage, utilities and healthcare. But whatever their background or industry sector, all are united in their fascination for finance and thirst for learning. And among their insights are some unusual experiences – being Ireland’s honorary consul for Mongolia, for example.
The past 12 months have seen a rash of mergers and acquisitions among mid-tier accounting firms. Columnist Ian Guider argues that this presages a major shake-up, as the new alliances provide the necessary pool of funds and talent to challenge the traditional dominance of the Big Four.
One way firms differentiate themselves is to seek out areas of specialism, and we take a look at how accountants can provide the expert restructuring advice needed to support struggling businesses choose the best way to address their financial challenges.
We also have an article on Ireland’s introduction of pension auto-enrolment from the beginning of next year. Efforts to ensure a comfortable retirement for all have been welcomed, but there are challenges in ensuring it operates fairly.
Another major challenge is tackling hi-tech financial crime: a recent ACCA report found fraud is no longer a collection of separate risks, but an interconnected storm system, where a single weak link can trigger cascading failures. Find out how global fraud is surging.
This report is discussed in one of the sessions at this year’s Virtual Public Sector Conference. Register to watch on demand. Both this and ACCA’s annual virtual conference, Accounting for the Future, offer free CPD units. If you’re looking for more as the deadline looms, see our CPD articles.
Further information
See the other regional editions of AB:
