UHY GLOBAL JANUARY 2023 REMARKABLE PEOPLE


SERVING CLIENTS, SERVING COMMUNITIES


 PEAK OF THEIR POWERS "Lots of sweat, tears, blisters and achy muscles – but we got there." A team from UHY Hacker Young (East), UK, mustered all their reserves of grit and endurance to take on one of England’s toughest mountain treks, the famous Yorkshire Three Peaks Challenge, to raise money for children with brain tumours. The gruelling event involved climbing the three tallest mountains in the county of Yorkshire on a 24.5-mile circuit, all to be completed in under 12 hours. “It was tough going,” says Marie Pegram, managing partner based in the Letchworth office, “but one of our values is teamwork and that really shone through for this challenge. The support and encouragement from the group that completed the walk, as well as everyone back in the office was incredible. We had constant motivational messages and even a bit of karaoke!” The team were fundraising for Tom's Trust, a charity that provides psychological support for children with brain tumours and their families. “It was so rewarding to cross the finish line knowing that we had smashed our fundraising target – the GBP 4,789 we raised will provide support to four children and up to 12 family members for 12 months," says Marie. “I’m so proud to be part of this incredible team.” Along with Marie, participants were: Ali Price, Stuart Hutchison, Ryan White, Nick Harrison, James Hewitt, Steven Giles, Nicola Scully, Zoe Underwood, Emily Goodacre, Gemma Harvey, Andrew Williams and Sam Robson. WINNING WAYS The team at UHY’s firm in Azerbaijan, UHY Audit LLC, were offered an opportunity to back one of the country’s top runners for the 2022 Tiblisi 10k run in neighbouring Georgia this year & and were delighted to oblige. Vugar Abdullahev is one of Azerbaijan’s elite runners and the country’s 2021 marathon record holder. A member of the Baku Marathon Club, he came in fifth overall and first in his age category at the event in September. The team at UHY Audit LLC supports a range of community activities of which sponsorship is an important part. The firm recently sponsored a high profile national conference on Islamic Finance hosted by UNEC, the University of Azerbaijan State University of Economics in Baku, one of the biggest education institutions in the south Caucasus. Equally impactful are activities undertaken by individuals at the firm, as managing partner Hashim Aliyev, explains. “We aim to support many good causes locally – typically team members have been working with local orphanages and nursing homes to help people who deserve attention. Our colleagues Mehriban Ibadova (office manager) and Narmin Valiyeva (tax and legal advanced staff) have been particularly active in recycling of office waste and organising our team participation in blood donation events.” A HELPING HAND ON TAX When the UAE announced that federal corporate income tax would be introduced in 2023, it set corporate corridors across the region abuzz with conversations about what the change will mean for local and regional businesses. UHY James, with offices in Dubai, Abu Dhabi, Fujairah and Sharjah, has been helping clients and others to understand and manage the implications of the change. “We’re supporting government authorities, consulate offices and business groups as they get to grips with changes to their corporate tax assessment, planning and structuring,” says CEO and managing partner James Mathew. As part of that role the firm joined forces with the UAE’s Bangladesh Embassy & reflecting UAE’s evolving dynamics in the regulatory and tech space & for its Blockchain and 4IR Origins, Evolutions, Trends and Corporate Tax Readiness in the UAE session. James, with associate partner Amit Mehta and associate director Ramesh Ponraj, addressed UAE-based Bangladeshi entrepreneurs’ concerns on corporate tax, including free zone taxability, tax grouping advantage and the overall impact of corporate tax. The firm also shared insights and answered questions from local members of ACCA, the global body for professional accountants. James adds, “With the new tax law coming into force soon, we really want to guide peers, businesses, authorities and clients towards being well prepared to adopt and embrace the new tax regime.” JULIAN GOES THE DISTANCE Launched in 2001, our annual UHY Forum is a leadership programme supporting the development of the talented UHY people we hope will lead our network in the future. Held over three days in Grazalema, Spain the forum helps our professionals to broaden their horizons and create a sense of belonging to a global network. It is also an excellent opportunity to nurture long-term business relationships to ensure UHY is best placed to offer a seamless cross border service for our international clients. This year’s winner was Julian Lombardo, manager, UHY Forbes Andersen LLP, Toronto, Canada . Despite being delighted to win, Julian says it was being at the heart of such an intense learning experience that made the biggest impression: “I faced a few tough moments during the challenges and had to dig deep to examine my leadership style and consider how to be an exceptional team player, at the same time as trusting my independent instincts.” “I was thrilled to win but there were many other outstanding candidates," says Julian. "I left the experience with a new understanding of the many opportunities a career in accountancy can offer. It is certainly not just about sitting behind a desk and working with numbers. I have come away with more clarity about how our membership will open up great opportunities to serve our clients even better.” Outside work Julian can be found either training for his first full marathon in Minnesota, US, next year or tending to his many fostered cats. “I'm crazy about cats. I belong to Animal Rescue and as well as having several pets of my own I always have some who I am looking after until they are ready to be adopted. My running regime and my cats are my main ways of switching off from the day job and throwing myself into some very different challenges,” he says. “I never do anything by halves and I always aim to cross every personal and career-based finishing line feeling really proud of what I have achieved.”


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