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Highlights from 5 and 6 July

23 Jul 2008

Council's July meeting is traditionally structured to allow more time for Council members to discuss ACCA's future strategy. This year's meeting was no exception, and Council spent valuable time in discussion groups debating possible future scenarios that might impact on the profession. The output from the discussion groups will be synthesised and used to develop ACCA's strategy beyond 2010, which will be debated by Council in November.

Also in the strategy section of the agenda, Council split into groups to discuss possible future governance structures. The views of the groups will be fed back to Governance Committee to assist its work in this area. In addition, Council considered a paper on a future vision for ACCA's technical policy and research activities.

Council considered a number of other issues in its formal sessions.

• The chairman of Remuneration Committee (Brendan Murtagh) formally advised Council of Remuneration Committee's decision to appoint Helen Brand as chief executive of ACCA with effect from 1 September 2008. Council offered its congratulations to Helen and thanked Allen Blewitt for his commitment and contribution to ACCA during his five years as chief executive.
• Allen Blewitt presented his regular chief executive's report on strategic developments. He also provided an update on how ACCA is building capacity in its processes and examinations delivery to meet growing demand for ACCA's qualifications and services, ensuring that new systems designed to support the new ACCA Qualification are responsive to stakeholder needs.
• Council approved the introduction of a new programme - to be known as ACCA Ambassadors - which will aim to identify and give greater recognition to those members who are contributing to ACCA's growth and development globally.
• On recommendations from the Nominating Committee, Council agreed to the appointment of non-Council members to the Education Policy and Governance standing committees. Council also finalised the membership of the newly-established Public Sector Technical Committee.
• Council approved resolutions to establish a new corporate vehicle for ACCA Australia and New Zealand and to establish, for the first time, an ACCA office in Malawi.
• Council approved a proposal that ACCA's Small Business Committee should be renamed the SME Committee. The new name will better reflect the fact that the committee now addresses issues of relevance to the whole of the SME sector.
• Council received an update on arrangements for its September meeting, which will be held in Beijing. This follows on from the success of the first Council meeting to be held outside Europe, in Kuala Lumpur in 2006. Events surrounding the meeting in Beijing will include a reception for ACCA members and other stakeholders and a dinner with senior officials from the Ministry of Finance, China National Audit Office and the national accountancy body (CICPA).
• Council also received an update on latest developments regarding the implementation of ACCA's new Regulatory Board and various current issues in the area of discipline.