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Dear friends,

Since the last issue of the WorldWideLink, a lot has happened and it has been a hectic time for me. At the end of March, the International Board met in Kuala Lumpur. Again, we reconsidered strategies and tried to consolidate what would be deemed practical to adopt without being overly ambitious. A short-term plan was formulated and this shall be presented at the International Congress in Buenos Aires in September. The Board felt it necessary to adopt more practical and achievable goals with reassessment at regular intervals.

We also considered marketing strategies to enhance our association’s attractiveness and  I am pleased to inform you that measures are being taken to market AGN more aggressively on the advantages of association. Dropping the common name facility is a factor and should be favorable to our organization.

Bearing in mind the number of businesses that are migrating to the East, and in particular China, your Board appreciates the challenges western business may have encountered. Hence, a “China Desk” has been proposed and is in the process of being set up. The North American region has offered to assist to facilitate the setting up of the China desk.

Indeed, this same issue was raised in the Asia Pacific region’s meeting held in Macau at the end of April. Ricky Wong of Wong Brothers, in Hong Kong, and Richard He of China Regal in China,  the Chairman and Vice-chairman of the Asia Pacific region respectively, agreed to a joint venture, which will create a separate firm in Shenzen to specially cater to the needs of foreign investments in China. We hope that other countries, including Korea and Taiwan, will also be covered by this set up. It is also wonderful to note that the Asia Pacific region has finally formed the corporate vehicle to operate in the region and I congratulate the members who have been appointed on the Board.

I also attended the North American region’s meeting in Seattle, USA in May. It was an enriching experience for me and it is visible to see why this region is so successful. North American members advocate “Value = Participation” and indeed, they practice what they preach. The sessions were educational, informative and challenging; it was difficult to decide which sessions to attend as several good sessions ran concurrently. The itinerary for the conference was comprehensive and runs like clockwork. I had the opportunity to sit in on the opening session by Cam Marston, an expert on generation dynamics, who spoke on the topic of  “Four generations in the workplace.” I also attended the talk on “Fair value vs. market value” and “Business appraisals” and of course, the North American Board meeting.

The delegates enjoyed great camaraderie, not just during the conference proper, but also during group excursions around beautiful Seattle, the birthplace of Starbucks and home to the Space Needle, but also on the river cruise where Bill Gates’ home was located.

My thanks to Jennings Hastings, the NA Board and the members for the very warm and kind hospitality extended to us.  I must say the greatest satisfaction on the trip was listening to some feedback from the delegates who commented that they felt being a member firm of AGN International was the best thing for their firm. The response time they obtained from the queries they raised were quickly responded to, which is much quicker than what they have got when they were part of much bigger organizations. And to top that off, they were extremely happy that AGN has chosen the path of “association”.

At this juncture, I must also thank Karl Horsburg, who has resigned from the International Board, but assured us his continued participation in activities of AGN. Karl has been an active contributor to the Board and to his European region. Many thanks, Karl. We now welcome Liam McQuaid from Ireland, who has already shown the mettle he is made of.  I am sure he will be a great contributor and asset to the Board and the organization.
We now look forward to the Congress in Buenos Aires in September. Do come and meet your friends and the membership from all over the world. What better way to know your business comrades than to meet them face to face first?

Of course, a wonderful program has been prepared by the South American firms and the International office together with the pre-tour beginning in Rio, which includes the magnificent Iguassu Falls.
This will be a good break from the challenges of our accountancy profession, but that is not all: you will get an update of how much is happening in AGN.

Nothing beats being INVOLVED and PARTICIPATION.

See you there.
Best wishes,

Esther Tan
Chair – AGN International
GEP Associates
Kuala Lumpur
Malaysia
esther@gep.com.my

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