The Asia Pacific region has come a long way with the support of each and every one of our member firms here. Our region’s impressive 45% increase in fee income in 2021 was made possible through our collaborative efforts, and the commitment of our regional board of directors enabled further transformation. Our dedicated regional community champions and co-champions have also been integral in powering up our communities since their humble beginnings.
In this post I’ll revisit some key moments in our region’s transformation journey.
2019: Engaging and Collaborating
I introduced APAC Connect when I joined in October 2018, and at our first regional session we decided to bring all our firms together to form an Allinial Global APAC family bond. As firm partners got to know each other, we introduced several collaborative commerce projects at the regional conference in April. Highlights for the year included:
- APAC Connect. APAC Connect enables sharing and keeps firm leaders updated on notable happenings each quarter.
- APAC Communities. We launched four communities (Audit & Assurance, Tax, Corporate Finance, and Accounting Outsourcing), bringing the sub-families of regional firms together.
- APAC Collaboration Projects. Firms elected to work together to create commerce by sharing existing clients.
- APAC Wish List. This annual list highlights what firms hope to achieve in the upcoming year.
2020: Innovate, Integrate, and Motivate
In 2020 we organized various initiatives around shared values, purposes, and practices, leaving the details of particular beliefs to the creativity of the communities themselves. It was an exciting and dynamic year for us despite the pandemic causing an initial downturn effect for some firms. Together, we leapfrogged to support each other’s endeavours, enabling many to realize the benefits the following year. Highlights for 2020 included:
- APAC References. We created a regional “At a Glance” meeting calendar, a regional handbook (summary), and an inaugural newsletter.
- New APAC Communities. 2020 saw the addition of new communities for Business Development, the Firm of the Future, and Human Resources, as well as an APAC Webinar Series that is complimentary and open to all member firm staff.
- Strategic Meetings. Strategic meetings included Global Working Group facilitation focused on managing through COVID together, a CEO townhall session, and year-end reflection on our wish list realization.
2021: Re-Imagine, Re-Position, and Re-Create for Transformation
The coronavirus continued to turn lives upside down with quarantines and cancelled plans, lockdowns and isolations, fear and uncertainty, and most significantly, anxiety and stress. However, Allinial Global APAC member firms grew stronger together, doubling down on strategic initiatives, which included:
- APAC LinkedIn. We launched an APAC-specific LinkedIn page to highlight regional news and events.
- APAC Connect Transformation with Value-Add Quick Bites. This included special invites (e.g., introduction of new AG member firms from other regions), as well as strategic roundtable discussions and sharing.
- Purpose-Built APAC Community Projects. We implemented projects to make community journeys more meaningful and impactful, including a Capabilities Matrix, Standardized Firm Profiles, an Audit Process Flow Chart, Member-to-Member Missions, etc.
- APAC-Specific Training Series. This series saw an influx of audience participation compared to the AG Webinar Series, sometimes with over 100 participants.
- Doing Business in Asia Pacific (DBI APAC) Roadshows. We not only increased total participation but also shifted the ratio of consultants to prospective clients within the audience. With more prospects than consultants in attendance now, we are thrilled to reach more potential clients through this series.
2022: Activating Commerce
As the pandemic situation slowly manoeuvres back toward normality, we look forward to meeting in person at our upcoming Asia Pacific Regional Conference, despite a few countries that still have restrictions. The conference has already garnered almost 100 registrations (80% of which are in-person attendees) despite just opening a few weeks ago, and there’s still time to register for both in-person and virtual attendance at https://tinyurl.com/APAC-Conference2022.
Along with our newly appointed EVP of Global Commerce, Özgür Demirdöven, Allinial Global has focused on activating commerce globally for all our member firms with the following initiatives:
- Global Commerce Virtual Meeting
- Regional Commerce Roundtables
- Inter-Regional Communities, including the first APAC-EMEIA Corporate Finance and Accounting Outsourcing meetings
We hope to continue spreading a collaborative spirit across the globe under the dynamic leadership of President and CEO, Mark Koziel, EVP of Global Commerce, Özgür Demirdöven, and all the regional board members who are supporting our global commerce initiatives.
We welcome you as our special guest to APAC Connect and any other sessions that interest you. Ask about our annual calendar to see what we have scheduled, and please consider attending the Asia Pacific Regional Conference. Or better still, join us at the Summit & Global Forum this November as we discuss and share our plans to activate commerce globally.
