I am delighted to share with you that our firm had the privilege of hosting three members from the leadership team of Allinial Global (“AG”) at our Hong Kong office last week:
- Mark Koziel, President and CEO
- Özgür Demirdöven, Executive Vice President of Global Commerce
- Abby Chee, Regional Director, Asia Pacific
At the helm of the second largest international accounting association with over 260 member firms worldwide, the three of them came to Hong Kong last week for a five-day visit.
Winning Together
With AG’s thematic focus for 2023 on “Winning Together”, the visit could not have been timelier. Despite the challenges presented by the current global economic climate, China and its natural gateway, Hong Kong, have seen promising developments that have imbued the business landscape with renewed dynamism.
As a member firm committed to cultivating peer-to-peer collaboration, CW was pleased to share with Mark and the rest of the AG team the plethora of business opportunities on our doorstep. We were also glad to have contributed to enriching the collective body of knowledge by sharing our firm’s best practices. By dipping into the abundant common pool of know-how, resources, and expertise offered by AG membership, we have full confidence that we can not only thrive but also seize opportunities for mutual growth with our fellow members.
Thanks to AG’s platform conducive to inter-firm collaboration, our extensive global reach has been further enhanced, thereby enabling us to better support you in achieving your goals of international expansion – whether that be in Shanghai, São Paulo, or San Francisco.
Connecting AG with Strategic Partners
Leveraging our firm’s role as a professional “super connector”, we arranged a series of meetings for Mark and his team. The aim was to help them develop a deeper understanding of the business environment as well as the various opportunities on offer. Upon their return, this knowledge would then be disseminated through the AG network, reaching member firms across the globe.
In particular, we facilitated constructive discussions between the AG team and the Hong Kong Institute of Certified Public Accountants (CPA), CPA Australia, and the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants. During the meetings, we delved into the opportunities and challenges that lie ahead for the accounting profession and exchanged perspectives on evolving industry trends.
In addition, recognising the prominent role of Macau in the Greater Bay Area in linking China with Portuguese-speaking countries, we lined up meetings for the AG team to explore synergies and areas of mutual interest with the Macau Society of CPA and Delta Asia Financial Group.
Further, we had the pleasure of introducing Mark and his team to the Hong Kong Trade Development Council (HKTDC). As our esteemed partner, the HKTDC plays an integral role in our firm’s pioneering “3 Institutional Partners + 3 Technology Partners” collaborative model. The visit to the HKTDC was followed by a productive dialogue with Hong Kong’s Under Secretary for Commerce and Economic Development, who offered informative insights into government policies and initiatives to promote business.
Interview with Radio Television Hong Kong (RTHK)
On a separate front, we were able to secure an interview for Mark with RTHK on the popular programme “Money Talk”. In the interview, Mark touched upon a wide range of topics. Most notably, he emphasised the significance of Hong Kong as a vital conduit for investment between mainland China and foreign companies. He added that Hong Kong, lauded as “Asia’s World City”, represents a cultural convergence point for the East and the West.
Digitalisation took centre stage in the interview. Mark highlighted the need to embrace the digital transformation, which would fundamentally elevate – not diminish – the role of accountants. Emerging technologies, such as artificial intelligence, blockchain, data analytics, and robotic process automation, have increased the efficiency and accuracy of processes. The integration of technology would allow professional service firms to focus on providing real, meaningful value to clients.
According to Mark, the outdated image of accountants as mere custodians of financial records no longer holds true. As evident at our firm, CW, we have evolved into a fully fledged advisory firm that transcends the conventional role of an accountant, ensuring that all your needs are met under one roof. In line with our mission to attract more tech enterprises to Hong Kong, we have also begun to position ourselves as a tech advisory firm.
Asia Pacific Regional Conference
The week of fruitful collaboration culminated in our participation in the 2023 Asia Pacific Regional Conference organised by AG. Held in Bali, Indonesia, the four-day conference brought together a truly eclectic mix of member firms hailing from all corners of the world. I very much relished the opportunity to connect and forge new partnerships with fellow members, including from Australia, Indonesia, Nepal, the Philippines, and Vietnam.
It was a great privilege to speak on a distinguished panel on the theme “Transforming Your Business: Building Capacity for Growth and Success”. During the session, I elaborated on our firm’s distinct approach to capacity building, which encompasses two core elements: digitalisation and market diversification. These two pillars are underpinned by our motto “Family and Health”, to which we hold dear.
I am very excited to bring back the wealth of enlightening and transformative insights gained over the past week. By incorporating these valuable takeaways into our firm’s operations and implementing them in our services, we hope to ultimately enhance the value that we deliver to you.
