CA magazine: April 2020
By Sarah Speirs, ICAS Executive Director of Member Engagement and Communications
26 March 2020
"There is no power for change greater than a community discovering what it cares about," said American writer and management consultant Margaret Wheatley. Right now, we need that global community spirit more than ever.
It’s an attitude shared by many top business leaders, including BlackRock’s Larry Fink. His unprecedented 2018 open letter to fellow CEOs said, “To prosper over time, every company must not only deliver financial performance, but also show how it makes a positive contribution to society.”
In 2019, top US lobbying group Business Roundtable announced it would no longer put shareholders before everyone else, and instead pledged a responsibility to customers, workers and communities. The World Economic Forum recently updated its Davos Manifesto to re-emphasise businesses’ commitment to the environment, human rights and sustainability. Only the most jaded soul could fail to see there’s a clear and seismic shift in society, one that cares about social inequality and sustainability. The spotlight is now on the professions to work towards making the world a better place. As Peter Bakker, President of the World Business Council for Sustainable Development, told the UN in 2012, “Accountants will save the world.”
The spotlight is now on the professions to work towards making the world a better place.
Which brings me neatly to Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), a community of the world’s leading chartered accountancy professional bodies, including ICAS, forming a mighty global network of 750,000 chartered accountants and one million students in 190 countries. And it has its own identifier, too: exclusive to members, the prestigious CAW Network Member logo stands for international co-operation, global opportunities for chartered accountants, and a commitment to the highest standards of professional and ethical practice the world over. It’s available to download right now, to display alongside your CA designation. So show the world that you’re part of something bigger. As an old African proverb says, “If you want to go quickly, go alone. If you want to go far, go together.”
I hope you enjoy reading about your global community this month, particularly at a time when we many of us are faced with social distancing measures because of the outbreak of coronavirus.
Take care all and keep in touch with us at ICAS via email, social media or CA Connect.
This article first appeared in the April 2020 issue of CA magazine.