THE 35th Annual Conference of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of the Caribbean (ICAC) to be held on June 22-24, 2017 at the Marriott Hotel here will feature an impressive line-up of regional and international speakers.
The 2017 conference will be hosted by the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Guyana (ICAG) under the theme, “New Horizons – Charting the Course Together,” and will focus on empowering business, finance and accounting professionals with the knowledge and strategies to advance development of the region, a release by the organisation said.

Presentations and discussions on topical business issues such as the regional impact of significant international developments, the opportunities presented by emerging sectors and markets, and the challenges being faced by established industries are planned. Developments in financial reporting, public sector financial management and information technology are also on the agenda.

Headlining the list of speakers are Sir Ronald Sanders, Antigua and Barbuda’s Ambassador to the United States, and Rachel Grimes, President, International Federation of Accountants (IFAC), who will deliver a main address during the opening session of the conference on Friday, June 23. Sir Ronald Sanders will address the topic, “Caribbean Perspective of World Economic Developments.” Rachel Grimes in her address on, “A Future-Ready Profession,” will speak on key issues and opportunities ahead for the profession in the global economy, including the importance of ethics, technology and attracting next- generation talent.

Ian Ball, Chairman of CIPFA International and Chair of the Audit Committee for the financial statements of the New Zealand Government, who has served as an advisor on government accounting matters, will speak on the topic, “Public Financial Accountability — Getting It Right” and Brian McEnery, President, Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA), will speak on the topic, “Future-Proofing the Talent Pipeline – Accounting for Generation Next.”

“We are confident that the diverse range of topics and the high quality of regional and international speakers will contribute significantly towards an empowered regional business community and accounting profession. As with past conferences, the 35th Annual Conference is expected to attract in excess of 400 accounting and finance professionals from the Caribbean, the United Kingdom, United States and Canada,” states the ICAC President, Jasmine Davis.

According to the release, the wide range of topics to be addressed over the two days of technical presentations and panel discussions on June 23 and June 24, include: A Caribbean Perspective of World Economic Developments; A Future-Ready Profession; Promoting a Caribbean Brand to the World; Future-Proofing the Talent Pipeline – Accounting for Generation Next; IFRS 2020; The Future of Finance – The Impact of Disruptive Technologies; Addressing New and Emerging Cyber Security Risks; Public Financial Accountability – Getting it Right; The Future of Gold; Oil and Gas Prospects for the Region; Expected Credit Loss Models – Are Our Banks Ready? and Tourism in the Caribbean – What the Future Holds.