UHY GLOBAL JANUARY 2019 REMARKABLE PEOPLE


SERVING CLIENTS, SERVING COMMUNITIES


RUNNERS GET AHEAD FOR CHARITY A team from UHY ECA Group in Poznan, Poland, raised an impressive sum for people with disabilities by competing in one of Poland's most famous races, the Poland Business Run. The event – a relay in five laps, with each team member running a lap – takes place in Poland’s nine major cities every year in September and in 2018 the UHY team ran in Poznan. Each city races for different causes – the Poznan beneficiaries being amputees in need of equipment and rehab. The five-man UHY ECA Group team competed against 3,308 runners (in 298 teams) on the 3.96 kilometre route. THE RUNNERS AND LAP TIMES: Piotr Wozniak 17 min 09s Audit managing partner Anna Ławniczak 25 min 53s Director of audit Marta Putek 22 min 28s Senior consultant Maciej Chwalisz 20 min 17s Senior consultant Łukasz Ludwiczak 14 min 26s Consultant (23rd in overall classification) WORTHWHILE GOALS Running enthusiast Piotr Wozniak instigated the team’s entry. "We took part in the race last year and found it very exciting," he says. "The goals are so worthwhile – but it is not just about supporting people with disabilities, it also promotes a healthy lifestyle. For UHY ECA’s employees it is also a fantastic way to engage and integrate. I hope next year UHY ECA will have a team from each office in Poland to increase our opportunities to work as teams to compete." The overall amount raised by the Poland Business Run was PLN 256,613 or USD 70,377. LAYING FUTURE FOUNDATIONS When UHY in Malaysia in Kuala Lumpur reached its tenth anniversary in 2018, it was keen to celebrate in a meaningful way – one that demonstrated its commitment to the development of young people. That opportunity came in the shape of supporting a programme focused on English language development. The firm contributed MYR 50,000 (around USD 12,000) to sponsor Step Up, a 24-page bilingual supplement for schools created by Malaysia’s national English language newspaper, The Star. There are 17 pull-outs a year, and this is not the first time the firm has supported the Star’s educational output: it also did so with similar pull-outs in 2015 for schools in Kuala Selangor and by sponsoring 50,000 copies of the paper’s StarBiz supplement for university students. UHY in Malaysia provides language and soft skills training to improve English among its team members. "I was back at my old school recently to give a talk and the teachers told me that Step Up had improved the standard of English in the school," says Datuk Alvin Tee, the firm’s senior partner. The firm also offers placements to interns, as part of its mentoring and coaching culture for which it has won awards – The Star’s Outstanding Business Award 2017, Most Business Award, the SME Best Employer Award 2017 and HR Asia Best Companies to Work For 2017. "We are always striving for the highest standards in our firm and that includes written and spoken English. If we can encourage the next generation of accountants to embrace excellence then are continually setting the bar as high as possible for our clients," says Alvin. RISK AND OPPORTUNITY Meanwhile UHY in Malaysia’s office in Penang is building future foundations in a different way. In July 2018, senior partner Chye Teik Loh presented a session at the International Accounting Youth Camp (IAYC) at Universiti Utara in Sintok, Kedah. The camp, is attended by thousands of undergraduates, providing a platform for future accountants to share knowledge and expand their networks through other private and local universities. Chye Teik Loh’s presentation was on the theme of turning risk into opportunity. He talked about some of the challenges facing the modern accountancy business and highlighted the five ‘A’s – ambition, ability, adaptability, agility and accountability. "It was wonderful and inspiring to see so much youthful talent and enthusiasm in the room. Harnessing that talent and turning it into innovation will be the basis for future success," he says. DAWNING OF THE CLOUD Cloud accounting and the spectrum of its essential technologies and tools should lie at the heart of future planning for small to medium enterprises today. It is a massive topic and UHY Farrelly Dawe White Limited in Ireland is proud to have hosted the country’s first cloud accounting summit, in September 2018, in Dundalk, Co. Louth. Global and national leaders in technology, cloud accounting and finance came together to discuss why businesses should use cloud accounting and how technology can help businesses manage their finances in 2019 and beyond. "This summit was for businesses which need to understand the benefits of the cloud and how to take greater control of their finances. The flexibility to work from anywhere at any time securely and with access to real-time data, can help them make the best decisions," says Alan Farrelly, managing director of UHY Farrelly Dawe White Ltd. "We were delighted to have so many leading cutting-edge cloud software experts taking part. Cloud accounting is the present and future of accountancy and finance." Figures show that Irish businesses are among the most innovative in Europe, with 36% of enterprises using cloud computing – the fourth highest in Europe and well above the European average. "The aim of the summit was to make sure that this trend continues," says Alan, "and that more Irish businesses continue to embrace cloud software, so that we stay to the fore in innovation." Stuart Hurst, head of cloud accounting at UHY Hacker Young in Manchester, UK, and chair of UHY Hacker Young’s UK cloud accounting group, was among the speakers at the cloud accounting summit. Click here for his overview on how cloud accounting is changing businesses. ANYTIME, ANYPLACE, ANYWHERE As head of cloud accounting at UHY Hacker Young in Manchester, UK, Stuart Hurst specialises in advising clients on how to use cloud accounting software to optimise their business processes. The number of businesses moving management of their finances to the cloud is constantly increasing, and Stuart is clear that cloud-based technology really does have the power to transform how businesses work. "Since starting to work with the cloud around five years ago, I have helped over 400 clients transfer to cloud accounting packages," says Stuart. "I would say that the cloud-based business services offer by UHY Hacker Young in Manchester have grown more than ten-fold over the past two years – and this is a trend that looks set to continue. Cloud accounting has become mainstream. Even big players like SAP and Oracle are now developing cloud-based solutions or plugins for their software. "Cloud accounting software not only provides an optimum level of data security, but is easy to use and can save a lot of time. The clients I have worked with report numerous benefits from their cloud solutions. Alongside the fact that it is cost-effective, these include increased productivity, because they are spending less time on record-keeping; increased accessibility, because they can access their key financial data from anywhere at any time; and improved back-up and recovery of data. "Cloud business solutions are not just about what you can access online from a PC or laptop, though. There are many mobile apps available now too, meaning that tech-savvy ‘smartphone entrepreneurs’ can access their business data on the go and in real time." Stuart writes regularly on cloud accounting and other cloud solutions for business on UHY Hacker Young in Manchester’s blog. Stuart and Darcie Robinson from the cloud accounting team at UHY Hacker Young in Manchester speak about the ways that cloud accounting is transforming businesses in a video, available here Contact: Stuart Hurst, UHY Hacker Young, Manchester, UK A NOTABLE WOMAN China trade expert Melanie Chen, managing director at UHY Advisors, New York, US, received a top honour in October 2018 when she was named a Crain’s New York Business Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting in the award's first year. The Crain’s award honours executives who have had a profound impact on New York City’s business and social communities. The Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting programme drew nominations from a wide spectrum of firms from New York City and the greater metropolitan area, from the Big Four to regional accounting and consulting firms. As head of UHY Advisors’ China Group, Melanie directs tax planning and business consulting services for companies that work between the US and China, Hong Kong and Taiwan, helping the firm and its clients navigate opportunities in the region. She works with American companies in China, Chinese companies investing in the US and high-net-worth Chinese individuals. Melanie acts as a media spokesperson for UHY Advisors on issues around doing business with China. Her expertise is also evident in the white papers and opinion pieces she produces, and her frequent presentations on the Chinese economy. She is an active member of the China-US Business Alliance and China General Chamber of Commerce, and is an honorary board adviser to the Asian Financial Society. "As the leader of UHY’s China Group Practice, Melanie is a trusted advisor and confidante to her clients, as well as her colleagues. She leads by example, and is a steady presence at community, industry, and association events," says Michael Mahoney, CEO, UHY Advisors, New York. "Melanie is a thoughtful and notable UHY spokesperson, often representing our firm through media purposes and other thought leadership activities that speak to her professional expertise and civic engagement. We are proud to have her as a colleague and wish her hearty congratulations." Melanie says: "It is an honour to join the many incredible professionals as part of Crain’s New York Business’s Notable Women in Accounting and Consulting programme. This award is for all of the women in our industry who excel in our profession and also as contributing members of the community." Melanie paid tribute to her firm and her colleagues for their progressive stance on women’s advancement. "Mike [Mahoney] gives me a lot of flexibility to decide what to do, how to do it and when to do it," she says. Melanie also features in our Perspectives article, Eastern promise, which discusses the changing impact of Chinese business on the global economy. Contact: Melanie Chen, UHY Advisors, New York, US UHY EXPERTS TAKING FINANCE TO TASK UHY’s member firm in the Dominican Republic, UHY Canahuate Calderon & Asociados, San Domingo, has built a strong reputation in the region for its audit, tax consulting and accounting expertise to local and international clients in a range of sectors. More recently it has further extended its profile through its participation in regulatory and intergovernmental bodies. The Dominican Republic joined the Financial Action Task Force on Latin America (GAFILAT) in 2016. UHY Canahuate Calderon & Asociados were subsequently appointed by the Certified Public Accountant Institute of the Dominican Republic (ICPARD) to support GAFILAT in its mission to set standards and promote the implementation of legal, regulatory and operational measures for combating money laundering, terrorist financing and other threats to the international financial system. Arabellis Calderón, managing partner, and Francisco Disla Canahuate, partner, have served ICPARD in various roles over a number of years. Arabellis has led ICPARD's Professional Ethics Committee since 2017, having previously served as the Committee's vice-president, and as general secretary of ICPARD. Francisco has been confirmed as a member of ICPARD's Tax Committee for 2018-2020, and previously served as chair of the Institute's Legal Committee. "As a team with over 30 years’ industry expertise we are honoured to have been invited to take on these vital roles to support our regulators in preserving the integrity of the international financial system," says Arabellis. "We aim to offer the organisation the same high standards of transparency, attention to detail and quality that we already provide for our clients." Contact: Arabellis Calderón, UHY Canahuate Calderon & Asociados, San Domingo, Dominican Republic


Page 1  |  Page 2  |  Page 3  |  Page 4  |  Page 5  |  Page 6  |  Page 7  |  Page 8  |  Page 9  |  Page 10  |  Page 11  |  Page 12  |  Page 13  |  Page 14