Policy & Insights

Internal control is one of the fundamental concepts used by entities to achieve important objectives, improve performance and build reputation, especially in disruptive and uncertain times. Internal control forms a core part of the activities of accountancy, finance and internal audit professionals, assisting them in ensuring that entities operate effectively. Yet the nature of the business model is changing for many.
Transformation, including the adoption of digital enablers, is changing the way that processes are undertaken. Rapid response to changing customer and economic factors is a reality. In this webcast, we explore these and other emerging trends, their impact on internal control and the need for internal controls to be agile and future-ready to support business transformation and growth.
In this podcast we explore the key themes of the joint ACCA, Internal Audit Foundation and Institute of Management Accountants report.

In this podcast Narayanan joins Jenny Knott FCCA for a wide ranging discussion about her path into fintech, the key trends in fintech as we look ahead, opportunities for professional accountants and the role of ESG and purpose.
Jenny Knott FCCA

Jenny Knott is both a board level investment banker with over 30 years’ experience as well as a leading innovator in financial technologies. Jenny has extensive prudential board experience having served on Boards of Global Investment Banks, Financial Services Corporates and Charitable organisations for over 25 years, her roles ranging from Chair to member of Board, Board Audit, Board Risk, RemCo and Technology Sub-Committees.

Jenny is also co-founder of FinTech Strategic Advisors and assists clients with their FinTech investment and adoption strategies. She supports start-ups achieve scale and commercial success. As an investment banker, she has been a CEO, CFO and COO, widely respected for leading the modernisation and transformation of her organizations and for her knowledge of the technical finance, emerging technology and regulatory environments.

Jenny believes that innovation, inclusivity and cognitive, demographic and experiential diversity are a ‘must’ for a successful business and acts as mentor and advisor to a number of CEO’s. She is a public speaker on emerging FinTech including Data transformation and Distributed Ledger as well as the commercial benefits of truly Innovative and Inclusive Board and Corporate cultures.

Jenny is currently a Non-Executive Director for SimplyHealth and deputy chair of both their Remuneration and Capital and Risk Committees. She is the chair of the Board Audit Committee in her capacity as Trustee for Ovarian Cancer Action, and Chairwoman of Equiida a global, senior executive leadership advisory firm founded on the science that greater inclusivity improves business performance.

Mid-tier businesses play a fundamental role in global supply chains, yet many of them are running on legacy systems and processes, facing long-term underinvestment in skills and technologies and have a very strong case investment that is not being addressed.

In this podcast Clive Webb Head of Business Management at ACCA’s Professional Insights, discusses the technology considerations for mid-tier organisations, with Adam Freeman, Director of Buyer Enablement at the Access Group and Tony Price, a Partner in PwC.