Navigating Brexit - Accounting Technicians Ireland

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Annual Conference 2017: The Next Frontier November 28th, 2017 Chartered Accountants House, Dublin

We have NUMBERS in our DNA www.accountingtechniciansireland.ie

Annual Conference 2017: The Next Frontier Don’t miss Accounting Technicians Ireland’s must-see event of the year, at Chartered Accountants House, Pearse Street, Dublin. A stellar line-up of well-known and authoritative voices will gather at the conference to present and debate on critical trends and issues such as: The Future of Connectivity in the Wake of GDPR The Changing Nature of Leadership The Digital Revolution: The Role of Blockchain and Big Data Professional Ethics: Reflecting on Your Integrity

This Conference qualifies for six hours of CPD with Chartered Accountants Ireland

And the Keynote Session focuses on Navigating Brexit, with a panel-led, interactive and analytical discussion. There will be ample opportunities to network with peers and colleagues from the accountancy profession and the wider business community. Breakfast, lunch and a drinks reception included. We have Standard Tickets available at €150 as well as a limited number of discounted student and member rates*

Ticket Prices and Booking

STANDARD TICKET

*

€150

ATI MEMBERS

€100

* You must enter a valid student or member number when booking at these rates.

ATI STUDENTS

€80

Conference Agenda 9.30am – 10.00am

Breakfast & Networking

10.00am – 10.10am

Welcome Dargan FitzGerald, President of Accounting Technicians Ireland and Partner at EY

10.10am – 10.30am

Chair’s Opening Remarks Gina London, Veteran CNN Broadcaster and Communications Strategist

10.30am – 11.30am

The Future of Connectivity in the Wake of the General Data Protection Regulation Pat Moran, Head of Cybercrime & IT Forensic, PwC Ireland Samantha Kelly, Social Media Strategist Paul Shanahan, Business Group Lead, Intelligent Cloud, Microsoft Ireland Including chaired panel discussion

11.30am – 12.00pm

Morning Coffee

12.00pm – 12.55pm

Navigating Brexit: Key Challenges and Opportunities Chair: Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Taxation & Public Policy, Chartered Accountants Ireland Setting the Scene: 12.00pm – 12.10pm Breakout Sessions: 12.10pm – 12.55pm Ireland’s All-Island Economy Fergal O’Brien, Director of Policy & Chief Economist, Ibec Trade & Customs Anne Lanigan, Manager, Brexit Unit, Enterprise Ireland The Impact on People Jonathan Warnes, Director, Global Employer Services Group, Deloitte

1.00pm – 2.00pm

Lunch

2.00pm – 2.45pm

Navigating Brexit: Analysis and Panel Discussion Chaired by Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Taxation & Public Policy, Chartered Accountants Ireland

2.45pm – 3.15pm

The Changing Nature of Leadership Gina London, Veteran CNN Broadcaster and Communications Strategist

3.15pm – 3.45pm

The Digital Revolution: The Role of Blockchain, Big Data & AI Wendy Belluomini, Director of the IBM Ireland Research Lab

3.45pm – 4.15pm

Afternoon Tea

4.15pm – 4.45pm

Professional Ethics: Reflecting on your Integrity Patricia Barker, Lecturer in Business Ethics, DCU

4.45pm – 5.00pm

Chair’s Summary Remarks Gina London, Veteran CNN Broadcaster and Communications Strategist

5.00pm – 5.10pm

President’s Closing Dargan FitzGerald, President of Accounting Technicians Ireland and Partner at EY

5.10pm – 7.30pm

Drinks Reception Sponsored by PKF O’Connor, Leddy & Holmes Limited

The Future of Connectivity in the Wake of GDPR 10.30am – 11.30am Pat Moran, Head of Cybercrime & IT Forensic, PwC Ireland Pat is a Partner in the Advisory – Consulting division of PwC Ireland and leads the Cyber Security and Data Privacy practice. Pat has over 25 years’ experience in consulting and industry delivering large technology change programmes. Pat has delivered cyber and IT risk projects in industry for the past 25 years in Dublin, London and Melbourne. He specialises in identifying key IT risks and designs systems and processes for clients to protect their data. He regularly speaks to Boards and industry on cyber risks and the types of threats that can bring organisations down. He has also worked with Regulators globally and has been responsible for the development of number of IT risk standards and technical white-papers. Samantha Kelly, Social Media Strategist Samantha is a leading social media strategist, speaker and trainer. Samantha owns and operates Tweeting Goddess. She is passionate about teaching businesses how to leverage social media effectively and add real value to their business. She works with clients to progress brand growth, defining social media strategy with clear and precise targeting. Samantha is the founder of Social Media Summit Ireland and co-founder of the Women’s Inspire Network, a support network which connects and empowers female led businesses. Paul Shanahan, Business Group Lead, Intelligent Cloud, Microsoft Ireland Paul has spent his career in the tech sector, working across national and international markets. He holds a B.A. in Accounting and Human Resources and has also spent time serving in the Irish Defence Forces. In his previous role he supported international organisations in developing their cyber security strategies and understanding threat management technologies and he is also an active member of Microsoft’s field council for GDPR. In his current role Paul is the Intelligent Cloud Business Group Lead which has ownership for major platforms such as Azure, Data and Artificial Intelligence.

Professional Ethics: Reflecting on your Integrity 4.15pm – 4.45pm Professor Patricia Barker, Lecturer in Business Ethics, DCU Patricia is a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Ireland. She was appointed lecturer in DCU in 1980 and progressed through senior lecturer, Associate Dean (Business School) and Vice-President (Academic) of DCU. She currently is an adjunct professor in Business Ethics in DCU. She has published extensively in the areas of Financial Reporting, Women in the Professions, Business Ethics and Corporate Governance. She is a Council Member of Chartered Accountants Ireland, chairs the Education Board and is a member of the Institute’s Ethics and Governance Committee.

The Digital Revolution: The Role of Blockchain, Big Data & AI 3.15pm – 3.45pm Dr Wendy Belluomini, Director, IBM Research Ireland At IBM, Wendy is focused primarily on advancing the frontiers of AI, transforming the way healthcare is delivered around the world, and scaling Blockchain for business. Previously, she served as IBM’s strategist for Brain-inspired Computing where she led the commercialisation strategy for IBM’s brain inspired computing hardware and ecosystem. Prior to that, she led a research team in enterprise storage systems which created technologies to improve the reliability and performance of IBM’s enterprise storage products. She is the co-author of over 45 patents and has published extensively in technical conferences and journals.

Navigating Brexit: Key Challenges and Opportunities 12.00pm – 12.55pm, Analysis & and Panel Discussion 2.00pm - 2.45pm Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Taxation & Public Policy, Chartered Accountants Ireland Brian is a well-known tax author, editor and speaker who has presented evidence on tax matters both at Stormont and Westminster. He is a columnist for the Sunday Business Post, Ireland’s leading Sunday business broadsheet. He is Chartered Accountants Ireland’s spokesperson on tax matters. Brian is a member of the Irish Revenue Tax Administration Liaison Group, and also a member of the HMRC Tax Agent and Advisor Steering Group.

Fergal O’Brien, Director of Policy and Chief Economist, Ibec Fergal leads and coordinates Ibec’s activity across a range of business policy issues and public affairs activity. He represents Irish business on a number of fora at both national and EU level and is currently the Chair of BusinessEurope’s Economic Policy Commitee. He is a member of the National Statistics Board and a council member of the Foundation for Fiscal Studies. He is a regular commentator on the economy and domestic and international policy issues, and holds his primary and masters degrees from the University of Limerick. Anne Lanigan, Manager, Brexit Unit, Enterprise Ireland Anne has over 30 years’ business experience, including 12 years overseas, working across a wide range of industries and stages of corporate development. Since joining Enterprise Ireland Anne has held a number of positions including Manager of the Tokyo office, and most recently Manager of the HPSU Start Department. Appointed to establish the Brexit Unit in September 2016, Anne is leading Enterprise Ireland’s response to Brexit. Anne passionately believes in the role that the indigenous sector can and must play in Ireland’s future. Jonathan Warnes, Director, Global Employer Services Group, Deloitte Jonathan is responsible for advising a portfolio of clients in the financial services, retail, technology, communications and consumer business sectors. He specialises in advising both Irish domestic and multinational companies on the global mobility and Irish tax issues involved in assigning employees to and from Ireland including the tax efficient planning of assignments, employment tax issues and the efficient delivery of compensation and benefits. In addition he has significant experience in advising clients on the design, implementation, rationale and management of employee mobility programs and tax equalisation policies.

The Changing Nature of Leadership 2.45pm – 3.15pm Gina London, Veteran CNN Broadcaster and Communications Gina is an internationally recognised communications expert, author and keynote speaker. An Emmy award-winning former CNN correspondent and anchor, she has emceed or facilitated hundreds of events with high profile speakers including Ford Executive Chairman Bill Ford, Jr; Huffington Post CEO Jared Grusd and Nobel Peace Prize winners Oscar Arias and Archbishop Desmond Tutu. Currently based in Ireland, Gina is a regular news analyst on radio and TV. She writes “The Communicator” weekly business column for the largest circulated newspaper in the country, The Sunday Independent.

The Future of Connectivity in the Wake of GDPR

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rish business might not fully grasp the significance of May 25th 2018, but interest in the date is now intense. The EU’s General Data Protection Regulation comes into force on that fast-approaching day, rewriting the rulebook on how companies manage ever-growing volumes of information on their clients and their operations. The ramifications are immense. Ireland’s Data Protection Commissioner Helen Dixon warns that non-compliant companies will get no second chances. Some 83% of Accounting Technicians Ireland’s members believe that Irish business is not prepared for GDPR (October 2017 Member Survey). Cue the scramble for clarity, understanding and recommended actions among businesses of all kinds. Such actions are needed not just to satisfy Europe’s regulators, but also to ensure that Irish business is fit for future practice. Data and technology are lodged at the heart of everything we do, guiding or indeed dictating the ways that businesses relate to customers, customers relate to businesses, and departments relate to departments. It is true that enhanced connectivity has made our world a better place to live in. And it is true that the future of connectivity promises further convenience, efficiencies and value. But the risks of getting it wrong – compounded by the forthcoming GDPR – urge actionable understanding, robust policies and at the very least an awareness of the fundamentals. The consequences of non-compliance whether accidental or malicious will be severe. The Future of Connectivity in the Wake of GDPR explores these critical themes. Pat Moran, Head of Cybercrime & IT Forensics at PwC Ireland brings his vast experience at the frontlines of the data industry to deliver a concrete understanding of GDPR. He’ll describe the current landscape and provide a glimpse into the actions that companies are making – or should be making – as May 25th 2018 approaches. He’ll examine the practical effects of GPDR and detail what life is going to be like for the future of connectivity. You’ll learn of the growing role of data privacy officers, what data

protection means or should mean to your organisation, and some benefits and drawbacks of cloud technologies. Social Media Strategist Samantha Kelly describes how the power of social media can be harnessed to great effect – if used properly. She’ll outline a landscape where future relations between businesses and customers are further enhanced through video and AI, leaving you in no doubt over where you’ll need to be in connectivity – and how you’ll get there. She’ll discuss how social is or should be embraced by stakeholders at every level of the organisation and warn of current and future pitfalls in the space. She’ll also discuss how social media can both cause and help manage crises in our data-driven environment. Then Paul Shanahan, Business Group Lead, Intelligent Cloud, Microsoft Ireland, will take us through the impact of data and AI on the workplace, describing how the concept of transparency will be crucial in the run up to and in the wake of GDPR. His expertise in the cloud will demonstrate how new technologies are shaping business practices, with an emphasis on finance and accounting. He’ll describe a range of data solutions that are coming on stream, how they can drive efficiencies, competitive advantage and enhanced performance leading to increased trust and brand value.

83% of Accounting Technicians do not believe Irish Business is ready for GDPR, according a Members’ Survey carried out in October 2017

Navigating Brexit: Key Challenges and Opportunities

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ith months of talks at the highest levels between the UK and the EU yielding little in the way of progress, the spectre of a ‘Hard Brexit’ becomes all the more likely. For business and finance professionals the challenges are staggering. Even if the pathway to Brexit were crystal clear – and it is the opposite – the range of actions and the limited time to achieve them would provide major headaches.

Brexit has dominated the headlines and political and business agendas since the remote became reality on June 23, 2016, when 51.9% of the UK population voted to leave the European Union. Fearmongering over immigration, misinformation over savings and benefits, and even malicious Russian influence has been blamed for the referendum’s outcome but it will stand, come what may. Business surveys reveal worrying levels of unpreparedness for the post-Brexit environment on both sides of the border and the waters but while the manner and timing of the split remain up in the air, it will be hard to form concrete plans on the ground. Navigating Brexit: Key Challenges and Opportunities brings some timely calm at today’s Conference. Chaired by Dr Brian Keegan, Director of Taxation & Public Policy at Chartered Accountants Ireland, we’ll have a series of breakout sessions on three core concerns on Brexit: Ireland’s All-Island Economy, the Trade and Customs and the Impact on People. Fergal O’Brien brings years of experience at Ibec,, the voice of business in Ireland, to the discussion on Ireland’s All-Island Economy. This macro-level piece focuses on the items that will intrinsically affect the deep-rooted trade relationship between businesses

operating across the border, which face a range of concerns over currency volatility, regulatory frameworks, trade barriers, new competition and market access constraints. Enterprise Ireland’s Anne Lanigan discusses Trade and Customs, with a firm focus on indigenous business and how redrawn customs procedures will profoundly affect our export-driven economy in the most significant challenge it has faced in 50 years. She’ll advise on pricing, administration and a multitude of other complications and offer guidance on what you can do to mitigate them. Deloitte’s Jonathan Warnes dissects the Impact on People under the three pillars of mobility, reward and immigration, going through items such as employment taxes and policies, retention and incentives and giving advice on the concerns over the constitution of the workforces of the future that all affected companies ought to be considering now. You’ll take part in your selected discussion in an interactive breakout session, involving consultation with the speakers and other delegates, and your feedback and opinions will be analysed and compiled for discussion after lunch.

While the manner and timing of the split remain up in the air, it will be hard to form concrete plans on the ground

Changing Nature of Leadership

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rom smashing silos, to mastering contemporary communication practices, to preparing millennials for senior roles, the nature of modern leadership throws up complex problems and calls for an ability to adapt. Work practices and rapidly changing corporate cultures are rendering many leadership qualities obsolete – but creating new ones too. And while all else may be changing around the contemporary leader’s eyes, there is at least one constant: confidence. Communications Strategist Gina London delves into the changing nature of leadership and teases out specific opportunities that are open to finance professionals – if only they can “get out from behind the numbers”. There are clear opportunities for Accounting Technicians in financial data analytics – a field which requires both an analytical mind to make sense of the data, the confidence to present the insights derived, and recommend actions that will bring value to the business. The concepts of mentorship and diversity too are rapidly expanding through corporate cultures in new fields – consider ATI’s game-changing apprenticeships where Accounting Technicians and accountants are taking young school-leavers across the island of Ireland to produce the next generation of accountants and business professionals. In other words, Accounting Technicians and other finance professionals now more than ever need leadership skills to help both themselves and their businesses survive and thrive in change. If you’ve the skills to become an Accounting Technician, Gina will contend, you’ve the skills to develop the influencing and leadership qualities that are fit for the changing environment you work in.

If you’ve the skills to become an Accounting Technician, you’ve the skills to develop leadership qualities. Gina London

The Digital Revolution: Blockchain, Big Data & Artificial Intelligence

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lockchain technology, big data and artificial intelligence are already bringing deeply disruptive forces to the accountancy profession and it’s widely accepted that an impending short, sharp period of developments will change its face forever. Take for instance the possible implications of blockchain. Traditionally businesses and the public rely on auditors to ensure fair play. Blockchain technology, advocates predict, will provide a new way for organisations to ‘trust’ each other, and indeed, for their customers and the public to trust in them.

Picture also a world where many of the tasks accounting technicians and accountants carry out are completed by computer applications. Just as robots now drive work in manufacturing, other businesses and professional services companies will become narrow at the bottom and thick at the top as artificial intelligence becomes established in the office. This means professionals working in accountancy and indeed the institutes that support them must take a serious look at the digital revolution underway, and take measures to future-proof their profession.

The digital revolution opens up opportunities for those who want to upskill to higher-level roles and survive the brave new world. Dr Wendy Belluomini, Director of the IBM Ireland Research Lab, brings her expertise to the conference today for a deep dive into these opportunities and how accountancy and finance professionals can exploit them. She’ll explain how these technologies relate to business, reveal the tasks that are at risks and why, and offer direction on upskilling on the technical side.

Professional Ethics: Reflecting on your Integrity

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hat is it that drives our stance on ethics? Is it purely laws, regulations and the fear of getting caught, or is it something far deeper? Patricia Barker, FCA and Lecturer in Business Ethics at DCU, brings us on a journey of personal reflection on our integrity, discussing the pivotal influence of the values we hold on our own ethical behaviour and those we work with or lead. She examines the source of ethical behaviour and discusses our beliefs on right and wrong. She presents on the ethical dilemmas that can arise in our time-poor working lives and advises on how to cope with them. You’ll get a concrete understanding of the fundamentals driving contemporary ethics and a clear understanding of the value of reflecting on your integrity at each and every stage of your career.

On the Agenda

THE FUTURE OF CONNECTIVITY IN THE WAKE OF GDPR

THE DIGITAL REVOLUTION: BLOCKCHAIN, BIG DATA AND AI

NAVIGATING BREXIT: KEY CHALLENGES AND OPPORTUNITIES

PROFESSIONAL ETHICS: REFLECTING ON YOUR INTEGRITY

THE CHANGING NATURE OF LEADERSHIP

Annual Conference 2017: The Next Frontier November 28th 2017 Chartered Accountants House, Dublin #NextFrontier @AccountingTec

Accounting Technicians Ireland

Accounting Technicians Ireland