Chartered Accountants leading the way forward for business
15/08/2008
The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants is delighted in being able to provide you with a pod-cast from the Centenary conference. Please note that the pod-cast will only be available for viewing until until 31 December 2008. Please click on the word pod-cast
The feedback from the NZ Institute of Chartered Accountants business leadership conference on 6 August in Auckland, indicates it was just the ticket for the current New Zealand business environment facing challenging times ahead.
As well as marking the Institute’s 100th year in New Zealand and celebrating the achievements of the past century, the conference also sought to look to the future – the role of chartered accountants in measuring, managing, and monitoring the success of business in NZ and the change of focus from finance, to the social, cultural, ecological and environmental measures required to take business forward.
The conference included presentations from prominent business experts including Air NZ Chief Executive Rob Fyfe who gave an insight into building good relationships with staff through strong leadership; Contiki Tours founder John Anderson on developing an idea into a multi-million dollar business; Dr Lester Levy, Chief Executive New Zealand Institute of Leadership on the lack of effective leadership in this country, and the need for New Zealanders to be more self aware in order to become exceptional leaders; Elliott Maise, who joined the delegates from America via video conference (pictured above) and talked about technological advances and e-learning as a critical driver behind change; Rachel Brown Chief Executive of the Sustainable Business Network (SBN) who gave an enlightening presentation on the issues that businesses need to consider to be competitive.
The conference also included two presentations from young companies working with Enterprise NZ Trust taking youth leadership into the future. Institute Chief Executive Terry McLaughlin closed the conference which was buzzing from such an outstanding line-up of thought-provoking speakers.
The Auckland War Memorial Museum provided a unique setting for the celebratory dinner, with MC for the evening television personality Petra Bagust keeping the formalities light. Institute President Graham Crombie briefly looked back over the past 100 years before going to take a look at the exciting future of the accounting profession as it becomes increasingly focused on global business issues.
Minister of Commerce Lianne Dalziel thanked the Institute’s members on behalf of the Government for their contributions to the profession and business in New Zealand. Formal speeches were followed by dinner and dancing to charismatic Wellington band Phil Costello and the Five O’clock Shadows.
Institute Chief executive Terry McLaughlin
