ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) gave an extravagant welcome to the newest members of its global community in Pakistan by holding grand virtual New Member Ceremonies in Karachi, Lahore and Islamabad.
Themed ‘Inclusion in Action’, the events were a living proof of how ACCA is enabling individuals of all backgrounds to pursue a rewarding career in the global accountancy profession.
Governor Sindh Imran Ismail participated as the Chief Guest at the finale of ceremonies yesterday in Karachi. In his talk, the governor emphasised on the need for the globally recognised professionals to play their role in the revitalisation of our economy. He also shared how our educated youth can take benefit of government’s various programmes that are aimed at supporting young entrepreneurs. He acknowledged that finance professionals have a key role in promoting transparency and fighting financial crime and lauded ACCA for always upholding the highest standards of ethics and professionalism.
The ceremonies also had a great representation from corporate leadership and public policy makers. Prominent thought leaders such as Senator Walid Iqbal, Aamir Ibrahim, CEO, JAZZ, Shazad Dada, President and CEO, UBL, and Ayla Majid FCCA, Managing Director, Khalid Majid Rehman, Atif Bajwa, President and CEO, Bank Alfalah were among the Conversation Leaders who spoke at the ceremonies.
ACCA’s President Mark Millar was present at all three events and also joined the oath-taking ceremony of new ACCA members in which they pledged to adhere to ACCA’s code of conduct and its values of inclusion, innovation and integrity.
In his message to new members, ACCA President Mark Millar said, ‘This is the new world of business that is typified by rapidly advancing digital technology, and concepts such as artificial intelligence, big data and automation. The advance of technology means that the human skills of accountants are needed more than ever. That is why the ACCA Qualification prepares you for the ethical needs of the 21st Century just as much as its technical demands. This is what makes ACCA professionals stand out in the marketplace, any why our people are in such high demand with employers the world over.’
In his keynote, the head of ACCA Pakistan Sajjeed Aslam said, ‘ACCA was founded on the principle of inclusion back in 1904 – when the profession was for the privileged and the wealthy. But ACCA’s trailblazing founders wanted it to be on the basis of merit. We’ve always had a very diverse workforce, membership and student population. And we welcome members and students from any part of the world. Thanks to the advancements in technology and the efforts of our body, today the qualification and organisation is accessible to everyone with ability and ambition, which is fantastic.’
The virtual events were hosted online using world-class tech infrastructure allowing a safe, memorable experience to all attendees. In addition to live streaming, there were exciting opportunities to network 1:1 or to participate in group video chats allowing attendees to build new connections.
ACCA has more than 227,000 fully qualified members and 544,000 future members worldwide. They’re among the world’s best-qualified and most highly sought-after business professionals – and they work in every sector, everywhere in the world.
