Pulling together opinion, analysis, interviews and features on the chartered accountancy profession, along with a focus on the key issues affecting accountancy and the world of business.

Accountancy Insights: Behind the numbers

In 2019, the UK was the first major government to commission a review into the economics of declining biodiversity. Here Philippa Kelly speaks with Thomas Viegas, economic advisor to the Review, about the implications for the finance sector.

The Economics of Biodiversity: what the Dasgupta Review means for business and the profession

ICAEW hosted Partha Dasgupta in 2014, early on in the debate on the economics of biodiversity.

Disregarded capitals: what (national income) accounting ignores

The BEIS consultation on audit and corporate governance reform proposes sweeping changes that will have a profound impact on the way corporate Britain operates. Why is this necessary now? What will it mean in practical terms? And is the timing right? Cosette M. Reczek, a Chartered Governance Professional with more than 30 years' experience and a member of the ICAEW Corporate Governance Committee, Janet Williamson, Senior Policy Officer at the TUC, and John Boulton, Director of Technical Policy at ICAEW, speak to ICAEW’s Managing Director for Reputation and Influence Iain Wright to find out more.

Audit and corporate governance reform: why now?

Trust in business and other institutions, such as Parliament and the press, has been declining for decades. How do we reverse the tide? Do the measures in the BEIS whitepaper set out a path to build back trust? In the second part of our corporate governance discussion, panellists Mala Shah-Coulon, associate partner at EY; Tom Gosling, fellow at London Business School; Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance, The Investment Association; John Odada, head of board and committees at BP; and Elizabeth Richards, head of corporate governance, ICAEW, talk trust with ICAEW’s Iain Wright.

The BEIS White Paper - part 2 of 2: How do we restore trust?

The BEIS whitepaper proposes replacing the current regulator, the Financial Reporting Council, with a new, more powerful body, the Audit Reporting and Governance Authority – ARGA. ICAEW’s Iain Wright is joined by a mega-panel of experts to discuss this proposal: Mala Shah-Coulon, associate partner at EY; Tom Gosling, fellow at London Business School; Andrew Ninian, director of stewardship and corporate governance, The Investment Association; John Odada, head of board and committees at BP; and Elizabeth Richards, head of corporate governance, ICAEW. Part one of two.

The BEIS White Paper - part 1 of 2: Is ARGA the regulator we need?

High profile frauds and corporate failures has put the spotlight on auditors. Regulators have questioned the quality of audits and the lack of competition in the audit market, leading to some of the more contentious elements of the BEIS whitepaper. What’s the right approach? Anna Draper, lead partner, BDO, Jayne Kerr, director audit strategy and public policy, PwC, Tracy Gordon, director of corporate governance, Deloitte, and Katharine Bagshaw, manager, auditing standards, ICAEW, join ICAEW’s Iain Wright to discuss.

The BEIS Whitepaper: How do we measure audit quality?

The pandemic has pushed back gender parity across the UK FTSE 350 to 2036, with women holding just 22% of all executive committee roles. Just 15 of the top companies have female chief executives. While we’ve made some progress in recent years, what needs to change to reach true equality? ICAEW's Susanna Di Feliciantonio and Jane Berney discuss the issue with a panel of experts.

The panel:

- Andrew Weir, Regional Senior Partner of KPMG in Hong Kong and Vice-Chairman of KPMG China, and Global Chair of Asset Management for KPMG
- Leda Condoyanni, Chair of the Non-Executive Directors’ Club in Greece + board member of ecoDa
- Catherine Musakali, Advocate of the High Court of Kenya and Chairperson of Women on Boards in Kenya
- Susannah Haan, a non-profit leader currently holding a portfolio of non-executive director roles

Women on boards - how do we reach equality?

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights ‘In Focus’ podcast. This is where we interrogate a specific but timely topic from the world of accountancy, business and finance.

ICAEW’s Head of Corporate Finance, David Petrie, is joined by a panel of experts to discuss debt, equity and other funding options for small businesses in the light of government intervention as a consequence of the pandemic and the return to growth.

Guests:

- Graeme Sands, Corporate and Growth Banking Director, Virgin Money UK
- Steve Cordiner, Head of Unquoted Investment, Gresham House Ventures
- Maggie Rodriguez-Piza, Chief Executive, Funding London
- Asif Ahmed, Founder & Managing Director, Acclivity Advisors
- Wendy Smith, Senior Innovation and Growth Specialist, Innovate UK EDGE North

Access to finance - supporting small businesses

Ros Urwin is joined by a panel of experts to discuss the gender pension gap, a problem that is related to the gender pay gap but has its own, negative characteristics.

The gender pension gap

Welcome to this ICAEW Insights ‘In Focus’ podcast. This is where we interrogate a specific but timely topic from the world of accountancy, business and finance. This time we examine Less Complex Entity (LCE) audits.

Less Complex Entity audits

On this week’s ICAEW Insights in Focus podcast, we take an in-depth look at a real-life cyber attack.

Anatomy of a cyber attack

On the latest Insights In Focus podcast, we reflect as the dust settles on the COP26 discussions in Glasgow, it’s time to assess and reflect on what was – and wasn’t – achieved.

What next after COP26?

In the first ICAEW In Focus podcast of 2022, Chief Executive Michael Izza looks at the biggest issues facing business and the wider economy, with help from experts from around the Institute.

What to expect from 2022 – part 1

In the second of a two-part special Insights In Focus podcast, ICAEW Chief Executive Michael Izza discusses non-financial reporting, public sector finances, and the big tech trends of 2022.

What to expect from 2022 – part 2

We take a look at the issue of domestic modern slavery, and how authorities and prosecutors look to build a case under the Modern Slavery Act.

How do we tackle domestic modern slavery?

In this Insights in Focus episode, we look at what happens to your digital assets after you die.

Death and digital assets

In this Insights In Focus episode, we take a look at the upward trend in instances of fraud: what factors make it easier for fraudsters, and what can the profession do about it?

What are the issues with tackling fraud?

In this special edition of Insights In Focus, Iain Wright, ICAEW’s Managing Director, Reputation and Influence is joined by Kitty Ussher, Chief Economist at the Institute of Directors, and Suren Thiru, ICAEW’s Director, Economies.

Recession? What recession? Time for business to stop worrying and start investing

In this special edition of Insights In Focus, Iain Wright, ICAEW’s Managing Director, Reputation & Influence, is joined by Majeed Neky, Head of Policy, Levelling Up Taskforce at the Department for Levelling Up, Housing and Communities, Gill Morris, Chief Executive, Devo Connect and Sarah Longlands, Chief Executive, Centre for Local Economic Strategies.

Levelling Up won’t leave with Boris, and the big opportunity ahead

In this Insights In Focus episode, we explore the multifaceted role of the insolvency professional by hearing from both practitioner and client.

Fraser Dick, managing director of Perfection Alloys, shares how the technical and emotional support of Tyrone Courtman, partner at RSM UK Restructuring Advisory, steered the business away from insolvency and towards recovery.

Tyrone goes on to explain his process for assessing the viability of businesses experiencing difficulties; and what motivated him to specialise as an insolvency professional early in his career.

It’s a timely discussion as insolvencies continue to surge, having tripled from January 2021 to March 2022, and further pressures are expected to press down upon UK businesses.

How to bring a business back from the brink

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