“In pursuit of your dream, you will be constantly subjected to tests of your persistence and courage—do not be hasty nor impatient.” Adapted from Paulo Coelho
Reaching New Frontiers
With seven new members so far in 2022, the Allinial Global EMEIA region is moving steadily toward its goal of reaching 130 countries by the end 2023. Please allow me to welcome again all of our new members:
- Al Barij Audit & Financial Consultancy – Oman (New Country)
- Ronalds LLP – Kenya & East Africa (New Country Uganda, with planned expansion into 6 more by the end of next year: Kenya, Rwanda, Burundi, South Sudan, Somalia, and Tanzania)
- MED Group – Turkey (2 New Cities)
- Azets – Norway (New Country)
- Azets – Finland (New Country)
- Azets – Sweden (New Country)
- Azets – Denmark
As of May 2022 we have 93 firms in 69 countries with a combined fee income of $1.3B. When Ronalds LLP finalizes its growth plan next year, our EMEIA region will cover 74 countries.
Connecting Global Commerce
In pursuit of global commerce and collaboration, we have launched our new tool AGConnect with the motto of “connected anything is possible!” Rooted in the belief that we will be stronger with connected minds, AGConnect is our own interactive business platform to drive connectivity, knowledge sharing, and global commerce. Connection is a key word here because a strong family makes for strong business.
And Connecting Personally
Personal communication is the most powerful way to communicate, and it is a proven model for enhancing cultural and collaborative perspective. I have visited 30 member firms in 16 countries in the EMEIA region so far to learn about their capabilities and strengthen relationships. Listening to firms, understanding their businesses and needs, and presenting to them about what we are doing to meet their needs is so important and well received by all the member firms. These visits are critical to who we are, and I would like to thank to each firm for their fantastic hospitality.
What I have learned from these trips is that little things make big things happen, and each country has its own magic word of success. For example, the magic word for the Netherlands is motivation. For Germany, discipline. For Italy, emphatic. Bulgaria, authority. And for Turkey, competition.
Responsive on a Regional and Global Scale
We aim to be the most active and effective association on both a regional and global scale. To reach that goal we have renewed our website with technology for a 24/7 online presence. The Allinial Global website now has regionalized pages, created in response to member feedback. I encourage you to visit the EMEIA regional page and comprehensive events calendar so you can explore the content and place your feedback for continued improvement.
Member-Driven Communities
Offering support for each important function and expertise area is very important to us. We are listening to members’ voices, needs, and necessities and setting up member communities accordingly. Right now we are in the process of organizing the Cybersecurity and ESG communities, equipping Allinial Global member firms to move to the forefront of these surging movements.
I want to express my appreciation to all Allinial Global members supporting these communities, as the communities would not be possible without the inspiration, assistance, and energy of Allinial Global members.
EMEIA Regional Conference
We look forward to seeing each other again at the upcoming EMEIA Regional Conference, sharing best practices, making new connections, updating ourselves on the latest trends, and celebrating our successes together. We will be meeting in Madrid, Spain, from June 12–14 with the greatest ever participation in the region—around 125 people. Wow! We are so excited to be meeting in the highest European capital (at an altitude of 700m), because we are reaching our flag to the highest point in the region!
New Strategic Partners
We continue to add new strategic partners and build regional tech stacks into our ecosystem, seeking out partnerships with Divvy, Audit Miner, and QuickFee. These third-party organizations are leaders in the industry and have the knowledge to help our members create efficiencies in their firm and better serve their clients. To learn more about all Allinial Global strategic partners and discounts, visit the member website. Our goal is to create better connectivity so our partners can be a resource to you.
Touching Africa, Touching the World
I have visited Africa three times in the last year as part of our commitment to strengthening our presence on the continent. We are in the process of creating a separate and successful African Board, for example. And in addition to offering a dedicated regional director based in Africa (Luca Traini), we are adding an African seat to the EMEIA Regional Board in June, conducting regular meetings of the Africa Steering Committee, recruiting new and strong members across the continent, and adding a dedicated African Panel to our June EMEIA Regional Conference.
Diversity and Equity in Board Representation
Allinial Global gives all firms an equal voice, disrupting the top-down style of other associations and networks. Our global and regional boards represent a variety of cultures, perspectives, and firm sizes.
To promote equal EMEIA regional board composition, we are adding two more seats to the board, increasing it from seven to nine seats. One seat will be reserved for the Middle East, one for Africa, and one for India-Pakistan. The other six seats will be divided among European member firms. The board also decided to fix terms for three years, so the new board will be composed of nine people serving for three years from all around the region.
Two board members, Alphons van de Ven from the Netherlands (ESJ Financial Engineering) and Michael Thelen from Germany (KBHT), will be stepping down at our upcoming conference. Alphons and Michael have been serving our board since the region’s formation in 2017, and they deserve a big thank you for their tremendous support to the regional board, as well as their service on the Global Executive Board (GEB). Please allow me to appreciate their continuous efforts one more time!
I would like to conclude with the quote from Turkish Statement and Founder of the Republic M. Kemal Atatürk: “Victory is for those who can say, ‘Victory is mine.’ Success is for those who can begin saying ‘I will succeed’ and say ‘I have succeeded’ in the end.” We have big dreams at Allinial Global to keep this organization best-in-class from every angle, and we are starting each of them by believing we will succeed with the power and support of our members behind us.
