Financial Management (UK) articles from July 2005

Financial Management (UK) archives from July 2005

Members can perfect their leadership skills by lending them to a range of institute activities.(IN BUSINESS)(CIMA global leaders summit)(Column)
July 1, 2005... For the first column of the new presidential year it's appropriate to be thinking about leadership. Our vision is for CIMA members to be driving the world's most successful organisations. Among our membership we have an increasing number of...

Around 1,500 delegates attended the recent CIMA global leaders summit organised by the institute's Sri Lanka division.(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Around 1,500 delegates attended the recent CIMA global leaders summit organised by the institute's Sri Lanka division. Imran Khan, Pakistan's former cricket captain and now a member of the country's national assembly, was among the leading...

A feature on risk management published in the May 2004 issue of Financial Management has been chosen as one of ten "articles of merit" by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC).
July 1, 2005... A feature on risk management published in the May 2004 issue of Financial Management has been chosen as one of ten "articles of merit" by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC). Each year the federation's professional accountants in...

The president of CIMA's north-west Midlands branch, Paul Hooper-Keeley, hit the right note with Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood when he persuaded him to join the line up on a CD to raise funds for Live8.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... The president of CIMA's north-west Midlands branch, Paul Hooper-Keeley, hit the right note with Rolling Stone Ronnie Wood when he persuaded him to join the line up on a CD to raise funds for Live8. "Once people knew Ronnie was involved, it was...

CFOs urged to escape "swamp" of data management and processing.(PERFORMANCE MANAGEMENT)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Finance directors can improve their companies' performance by taking firmer control of internal processes, according to a leading authority on performance management. Speaking at a recent finance forum in London, Jeremy Hope, research director...

FD prescribes treatment for NHS colleagues.(National Health Service)(financial directors)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... A leading finance director in the National Health Service is calling for a stronger focus on risk management and commercial business skills in the health sector. Speaking at a CIMA conference on NHS reform, Paul Kemp, director of finance...

MP calls for action on identity theft.(RISK MANAGEMENT)
July 1, 2005... A Labour member of Parliament is urging businesses to ensure that they have sound vetting processes in place for recruiting new staff. Speaking at a recent press briefing, Bruce George, MP for Walsall South, claimed that identity theft was...

Big names line up to take part in CIMA conference 2005.(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Two FTSE high-flyers are to speak at CIMA's 2005 annual conference in November. David Jones, chairman of Next, and David Tyler FCMA, group FD of GUS, are among the leading financial figures who will be discussing some of today's most pressing...

Institute reports popularity boost.(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... According to CIMA's 2004 annual review the number of part-qualifieds grew by 4 per cent last year, while the number of members increased by 4.3 per cent. The total membership stands at 65,000. The student body has grown to just under 85,000....

Annie Guerard: finance director, Diesel.(ONE 2 ONE)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... At the start of your career you wanted to be a dancer. Why did you opt for spreadsheets rather than the stage? When I left school in France I wasn't too sure what direction I wanted to take. I was always good at ballet when I was young, but...

Go with the territory: where on earth is the best place for your company to set up a new branch? Camilla Berens and Ruth Prickett compare regions around the world that are trying to attract foreign business and find out what they have to offer.
July 1, 2005... Is there an ideal time for a business to expand abroad? The financial equation needed to entice companies into foreign territory can be complicated: currencies fluctuate, interest rates vary, politics change and economies shift accordingly. The...

Site unseen? Does offshoring destroy jobs, or does it create cost savings that will allow a company to maintain high-value rotes back home? Sanjeevan Valanju examines the trend and considers how to mitigate the risks that come with packing off key functions abroad.(some factors to remember before outsourcing)
July 1, 2005... 'They say they're currently processing tax returns, doing accounting work and managing payroll, but they're ready to work on monthly management accounts and provide management information systems, too." This sort of remark is being heard...

Duty calls: Ian Christison, CIMA's incoming president, tells Ruth Prickett how he intends to help the institute progress from strength to strength.(Interview)
July 1, 2005... Ian Christison has always believed that being elected president of CIMA is the greatest honour that the institute can bestow on a member. He feels strongly that vision and leadership must be driven by hard work, commitment and determination,...

The future of finance: Stathis Gould and Martin Fahy propose a business partnering model that, they believe, will allow the function to deliver high-quality decision-support services.(TECHNICAL MATTERS)(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants annual conference to discuss financial management)
July 1, 2005... In almost every piece of research--and rhetoric--on the future of finance "effective business partnering" is rated as the function's most important aspiration. Despite that, only a few high-performing firms are successfully redefining finance's...

Does your english let you down?(technique for acquiring mastery in english-a home study method)(Advertisement)
July 1, 2005... A SIMPLE technique for acquiring a swift mastery of good English has just been announced. It could double your powers of self-expression. It could pay you real dividends in business and social advancement, and give you added poise,...

A startling memory feat that: you can do: "How I learned the secret in one evening. It has helped me every day.".(Dr. Bruno Furst's Memory Course)
July 1, 2005... When my old friend Richard Faulkner invited me to a dinner party at his house, I little thought it would be the direct means of doubling my salary in less than two years. Yet it was, and here is the way it all came about. Towards the end...

CIMA professional development: the institute has launched a suite of internet-based resources--freely available to members--designed to support their continuing professional development.(TECHNICAL MATTERS)(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)
July 1, 2005... CIMA members are increasingly expected to possess a wide range of qualities, such as technical know-how, management competence, personal skills and a sound, up-to-date understanding of the business environment. The institute's new suite of...

Intellectual capital: Indra Abeysekera draws on a Sri Lankan study to explain how firms can improve their performance by turning uncontrollable circumstances to their advantage.(TECHNICAL MATTERS)(methods used by the top companies to maintain their rankings during the war peace transition)
July 1, 2005... When Sri Lanka's government agreed a permanent ceasefire with rebel forces on February 22, 2002, it stopped a civil war that had ravaged the nation for 19 years. The conflict had important implications for Sri Lankan businesses. It created an...

Global contact details.(STUDIES NOTES)(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)(Directory)
July 1, 2005... CIMA Services was relaunched as CIMA Contact from 1 July 2004 to reflect that students and members now contact us via e-mail, from our website, via fax and via telephone, and that we offer information to students, members, organisations and the...

Student one 2 one: Ian Carroll, product development profits finance analyst, Jaguar and Land Rover.(STUDY NOTES)(Interview)
July 1, 2005... You took an engineering degree and ended up as an accountant. How did that happen? Ultimately, engineering was too specific for me. The thing about engineering is that you'd end up working on the design of a car door handle rather than the...

Management accounting--decision management: marginal costing is a useful decision-making tool, but it needs to be handled with care to avoid oversimplifying a business's situation.(Paper P2)
July 1, 2005... The concepts under which differential costs, opportunity costs, sunk costs etc are identified were largely developed before World War II by economists, who illustrated their ideas using simple business settings. Today's firms operate in a more...

Financial analysis: accounting for changing price levels is a far more interesting and relevant subject than many students expect. The examiner reveals why it's also easily examinable.(Paper P8 some possible questions)
July 1, 2005... The measurement of income and capital occupies 20 per cent of the syllabus for paper P8, covering such complex topics as financial instruments, substance over form and accounting for pension schemes. This section is split into six learning...

Certificate level, managerial level strategic level and TOPCIMA papers: the verbs used in the learning outcomes of each syllabus define the maximum level of skill that candidates need to use in the exams.(All papers)
July 1, 2005... The most common complaint from examiners you'll see in the post-exam guides is that "students simply don't answer the question", but there's a whole range of ways of not answering the question. Many students, determined to prove how much...

Exam notice.
July 1, 2005... Visit www.cimaglobal.com/students/ index.htm regularly for updates. * May 2005 exam results If you wish to receive your results via e-mail in the last week of July, you will need to select this option by logging in via...

New honorary officers elected.(INSTITUTE UPDATE)(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)(appointments)
July 1, 2005... PRESIDENT IAN CHRISTISON FCMA Ian Christison started work as a trainee accountant with the Sheepbridge Company, which operated blast furnaces and rolling mills. He developed management accounting systems for the iron tube and foundry...

Presidential engagements.(INSTITUTE UPDATE)(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... July 1 CIMA council strategy, London July 2 CIMA council meeting, London July 9 Membership assessment, Glasgow July 11 New members' celebration, London July 14 Buckingham Palace garden party July 23 Membership assessment,...

Choose your branch online.(INSTITUTE UPDATE)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Members and students are allocated to a branch based on their home address, but CIMA appreciates that this may not be the most convenient one for you to attend. If you'd also like to receive information on another branch in your country, you...

Membership milestone for CIMA Ireland.(INSTITUTE UPDATE)(Chartered Institute of Management Accountants)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... Ian Brennan, senior accountant at Allied Irish Bank's Capital Markets Finance, has become the 3,000th member of CIMA in the Republic of Ireland. CIMA Ireland achieved 1,000 members in 1993 and reached 2,000 members in 1999.

Disciplinary notice: Antony Simon Baker (ACMA).(INSTITUTE UPDATE)(Australian Communications and Media Authority)(Brief Article)
July 1, 2005... On considering complaints against Antony Baker, the disciplinary committee made the following findings: in relation to one client he had failed to prepare accurate year-end accounts and failed to submit them to Companies House timeously,...

Council member required.(INSTITUTE UPDATE)
July 1, 2005... Casual vacancy, area 7 Notice is given that, as the council member in electoral area 7 (Scotland), Gordon Grant, was elected as vice-president at the June 2005 AGM, a new candidate is sought to represent area 7 on council The casual...

Feeling the benefit.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... "For richer, for poorer" (April) raised a number of vital contributions to ensure successful mergers and acquisitions. They included having a clear strategy, undertaking due diligence and adding shareholder value by ensuring that a fair price...

Split definitive.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... Work-life balance is a subjective concept and there is usually a 50/50 split between the people who feel positive about their work and enjoy the challenges it provides, and those who feel that stress and long hours negatively affect their...

More to give.(Letters)(Letter to the Editor)
July 1, 2005... I have received a rather disappointing letter from the president of the Sri Lanka Division. Earlier in the year there was an appeal to help our friends and colleagues in Sri Lanka who had suffered from the tsunami. There was hope that CIMA...

Diary.(Calendar)
July 1, 2005... CENTRAL LONDON AND NORTH THAMES Contact: Atifa Ismailmiya T: 020 8849 2547 F: 020 8849 2455 E: atifa.ismailmiya@cimaglobal.com September 8 Expressing yourself through leadership Time: 6 for 6.30 pm ...

Onus issue: the duties of directorship are not to be taken tightly. James Thorby explains why you should think very carefully before accepting a position on the board.(JOBS & CAREERS)
July 1, 2005... Let's be clear: a limited-liability company limits the liability of its shareholders, not that of its directors. If you are a director you have potentially unlimited personal liability for your actions. The courts continue to extend the range...

Secret diary: Piers Pommeroy has had an offer he can't refuse, but that won't stop him from looking a gift horse in the mouth. And could it be true that his old capo will be turning into his stepfather, too?
July 1, 2005... Week 1 I've definitely made up my mind about the job. It's not only that I need the corporate finance stuff on my CV. If I move now, I can escape before the fabled internal audit business plan falls to bits--which is how it's starting to...