90 accountants and lawyers including representatives from Farkouh, Furman & Faccio traveled to Vancouver, Canada last week for Alliott Group’s 2018 Worldwide Conference. This year’s annual event blended Top Gun style management training with updates on the latest international developments in the world of tax, business, marketing and the law. Active participation in our international alliance delivers strategic advantages to FF&F and to our clients by being able to capitalize on opportunities offered by the international economy.
As one of the world’s most progressive, forward thinking and globally minded cities, Vancouver provided the perfect backdrop for a conference that was focused on the need to be ‘future ready’. 90 professionals from leading local professional firms in 28 countries came together to exchange ideas and to acquire knowledge on the technical and management issues essential to improving and future-proofing any business.
Bruce Militzok, Partner, comments: “Our firm’s involvement in Alliott Group and their events program benefits our clients as they facilitate the cross-border insights and personal relationships that are required to meet their needs domestically and in other geographic markets where the tax and legal systems, and of course the culture, are all different. Alliance participation enables us to help our clients to unlock the growth potential offered by new markets. Our attendance in Vancouver has reinforced the importance of having an open, international mindset in today’s fast-changing world.”
Attendance in Vancouver also highlighted the opportunities offered by one of the world’s most vibrant and ethnically diverse cities. As Canada’s gateway to the Pacific Rim, Vancouver is a major world port and the main western terminus of transcontinental highway and rail routes. The city has achieved 28% growth in GDP since 2007* and a 93.9% rise in the number of corporates locating their headquarters in the city, with this trajectory stemming from the city’s wealth of intellectual capital, technological know-how and access to the expanding Asian economy. Major economic sectors include banking, accounting, law, film, technology, tourism, natural resources and construction.
During the three day conference, our representatives:
- Were briefed by former U.S. fighter pilots from Afterburner in how to utilize the Plan-Brief-Execute-Debrief-Win cycle that makes up the Flawless ExecutionSM framework used by elite military teams to empower their leaders and organizations
- Received instruction from business growth innovator Ford Saeks in how to put in place a strategy with real action steps that will increase company revenues, enhance productivity, achieve competitive advantage and generate higher profits
- Had their thinking challenged by strategy consultant David Chavez on what alignment means in an organisation and were shown how some of the world’s most successful companies achieve growth by aligning their strategy, people and processes
- Learned about calmversation™, a technique developed by business coach Missy Jena to dissolve the barriers to communication, leadership and innovation.
Participation in specialist meetings focused on international tax, legal, M&A, real estate, private wealth, global mobility and transfer pricing – each of which is integral to Alliott Group’s growth and business development strategies – ensures that our representatives return home with a more rounded view of the challenges and opportunities offered by cross border business.
Alliott Group CEO James Hickey comments: “Many issues were discussed at this conference, some controversial, others less so. Our main objective was to challenge our members to rethink their current practices and to encourage them to challenge their clients’ approach to business in a way that will put them on the road to greater success and sustainability in the future. We feel passionately that our members should always have an open mindset that is ‘change ready’ and that positions them as trusted advisers in the eyes of their clients, rather than simply as lawyers and accountants.”
About Alliott Group
Founded in 1979 and with 152 member firms across 163 cities in 63 countries, Alliott Group is an award-winning international association of independent accounting and law firms that need deeper levels of cross border resources to develop reputation, visibility and new business. Alliott Group provides services to help its member firms to position themselves as the ‘go to’ firms in their local markets for businesses and private individuals with multi-market business interests.
For More Information
To find out more about potential membership of Alliott Group or for professional assistance from our member firms around the world, please contact Alliott Group’s Head of Worldwide Marketing, Giles Brake at giles@alliottgroup.net or visit our website.