News

2020 Roundup

December 31, 2020

Liza RobbinsBy Liza Robbins.

51 weeks ago, in the first week of 2020, I wrote an article reflecting on how our work underpins civil society:

“Without good financial systems, society cannot function smoothly, just as it cannot function without a good legal system,” I wrote.

“And without the kind of checks-and-balances we provide for the financial system as auditors, accountants and tax advisors, people will not be able to have confidence in society, either.

“It’s hard to see how essential that confidence is until things go wrong.”

Little did I know how much was about to go wrong… And how critical our work proved!

As the year draws to a close, it’s worth reminding ourselves – and our teams – of the value we provide to society.  Click here to revisit the piece now.

And if you have a few minutes over the New Year, you might also enjoy some of the other pieces we published this year.

Here are some of my personal favourites…

>> How Kreston Zimbabwe thrives in a distressed economy – This was inspirational! Not only has our Zimbabwe firm had to contend with Coronavirus, but they’re working in a distressed economy, tumultuous political environment and a country beset by strikes. And yet they’re growing steadily.

Here’s how they’ve done it.

(And here’s another success story from a Kreston firm in a small country – this time, Costa Rica. Click here to read it.)

>> A difficult conversation about racism – “Racism is every day for me,” Philip Olagunju, director at PEM Corporate Finance in the UK told me at the height of the Black Lives Matter demonstrations.

I found his story extremely eye-opening. And his suggestions for how Kreston firms can do more to embed equality and diversity – wherever they are in the world – remain must-reads.

Click here to read Philip’s story.

>> Black Box thinking – How can we create a more consultative environment, where all points of view are welcomed? The answer lies in a plane crash on Long Island in 1990…

Click here to find out more.

>> The leadership struggle most people never acknowledge – When you’re a leader in your firm, people look to you for support and encouragement. But what happens when you’re struggling yourself?

A useful reminder, at the end of the most stressful of years, that sometimes even people at the top are not okay. Read more here.

>> Being prepared – We seem to be at the tail end of the Coronavirus crisis. But are you ready for a future emergency? If we’ve learned anything this year, it’s to expect the unexpected.

With that in mind, it’s worth revisiting our piece from March on how to put together an effective disaster recovery plan. Click here to read it now.

Thank you again for all your contributions and feedback to my newsletters this year!

Wishing you a happy new year, and a successful, healthy 2021 ahead –

Liza