Welcome to Accountex 2024

Welcome to Growing Your Numbers, an initiative powered by VFD Pro designed to enrich your client interactions and prospecting efforts.

We understand the crucial role effective communication and insightful data play in building strong client relationships. By leveraging the expertise and analytical tools from VFD Pro, Growing Your Numbers offers tailored solutions to help you provide more value to your clients and attract new business.

Explore how our partnership can transform your approach to client engagement, turning every opportunity into a stepping stone for growth.

Running the Business of Your Dreams
How to Grow a Profitable Business

Accountex 2024 - Accountants in Industry Theatre

For the third year running VFD Pro are proud sponsors of the ‘Accountants In Industry’ theatre. You can benefit from 14 inspiring sessions from a range of hand-picked keynote speakers, all specialists in their field.

Day 1: Wednesday 15th May

Discover the finance business partner mindset, skillset & daily actions that add real value in this crucial forward-facing role & learn some practical tips, tools & techniques from our unique 9 Cs FBP Formula®, the formula for business partnering success, to implement immediately in the workplace & be buzzing to do so!

Presented by: Andi Lonnen

Alongside technical mastery, every aspiring leader must become professionally credible. But how do you develop such an abstract quality? Join our panel of experts to explore the characteristics required to reach the most senior finance positions – CFO or Partner.

Join: Andrew Walters, Ben Rawal, Alan Nelson

Reinventing Accounting Advisory: Explore the full potential the Virtual Finance Director Role, Combining State-of-the-Art Technology, and Strategic Offshoring

Virtual Finance Directors are uniquely positioned to provide invaluable guidance and direction to the businesses they serve. When financial staff lack the necessary technology or expertise, it presents an ideal opportunity for mutual benefit. Advanced technology enhances efficiency and utility, while strategic outsourcing addresses skill and capacity shortages, reducing costs for businesses and increasing fee income—a win-win solution.

Join: David Kerr, Sue Penney, Steve Darnell, William Massey

In today’s dynamic business environment, the role of accountants has evolved from mere number-crunching to strategic partnership. As businesses seek growth and profitability, accountants are increasingly called upon to collaborate across departments, necessitating the establishment of robust Business Partnering functions.
 
Our panel session, led by seasoned industry experts, delves into the essential strategies, challenges, and best practices for implementing effective Business Partnering. Elevating your role, driving strategic value, and fostering collaborative relationships.
 
Join: Andi Lonnen, Louisa Matheson & Mark Walker
Operating as a Portfolio FD isn’t for everyone but when the role is performed well it can be as beneficial and transformational for the FD as the businesses they support.
 
During this panel discussion you will gain insights into the knowledge, skills and behaviours required to operate as a successful Portfolio FD, offering clarity, guidance and inspiration for aspiring professionals. We will demystify the multifaceted nature of this role, illuminating everything required to set yourself up for success.
 
Join: Mark Walker
AI has burst onto the scene amidst a flurry of promises and predictions. But, as we get to grips with the technology, its limitations have also slowly risen to the surface. Has it really changed the game, or have the benefits been overstated?
 
In this talk we try to paint a more plausible potential digital future for accountancy by discussing the substantial opportunities alongside the acknowledged downsides such as wasted investments, bias and unfairness, privacy fears, compliance concerns, and societal and sustainability issues.
 
Join: Jeremy Swinfen Green

This session will explore how we can change our perspective and leverage the necessary skills to accelerate our digital transformation journey and to focus on more meaningful activities at work and beyond. We will explore the current and future landscape – the technological shifts, including AI and automation, that are occurring now and how we can take advantage of them. Key takeaways will include how we can optimise the use of technology, including strategies to overcome obstacles and challenges, and to identify and cultivate the skills we require, such as the growth mindset, in order to facilitate these changes.

Join: Louisa Matheson

Ensure you’re getting the most value out of any new system, you’ll need the whole team to buy-in. Effective change management sits at the heart of changes to processes and systems. New software is often bought as a solution to a problem, and too often, the impact of change might not be considered or managed. Change needs to be a considered approach that balances People, Process and Technology (PPT). To increase the success of any new solution, you need to have full buy-in from your team and clients. The panel ranges in size of firms that demonstrate best practice when managing internal and client-impacting change.

Join: Jessica Pillow, Billie McLoughlin, Ben Knapp, Ian Cooper

Day 2: Thursday 16th May

“The Generational Shift of the Finance Department” delves into the nuanced differences between generations, such as Gen Z, Millennials, Gen X, and Baby Boomers, and their impact on the finance function.
 
This insightful talk explores how each generation brings its unique perspectives, values, and approaches to the table, shaping the culture, operations, and future trajectory of finance departments. From the digital natives of Gen Z to the seasoned veterans of the Baby Boomer generation, understanding and effectively leveraging the strengths of each cohort is essential for fostering collaboration and driving organisational success.
 
This talk will provide strategies for fostering cross-generational collaboration, knowledge sharing, and mentorship within finance teams to bridge the generation gap, while also anticipating and preparing for further shifts in the finance department as new generations enter the workforce and technology continues to evolve.
 
Join: Becky Glover
Mathew will be delivering an update for all things payroll in the 2024-25 tax year. With so much to remember, its easy to forget some of the many changes coming this year. The session will cover:
– tax year rate and threshold updates
– statutory payment changes
– NMW compliance and changes
– new legislation, bills and acts
– future changes and legislation
 
Come and hear all the items you need to make sure your payroll services are compliant and effective. Mathew will also be on hand for you to ask any questions about payroll you may have to help you serve your clients to the best of your ability.
 
Join: Mathew Akrigg
In the complex world of accounting, the difference between success and frustration often hinges not just on the quality of your advice but on your ability to persuade clients and colleagues to listen and act upon it. Join us for a compelling 40-minute session where Alex Bond Burnett, a behavioural strategist with a background in accounting and psychology, unveils the art and science of effective communication.
 
This talk is designed to empower accountants, financial advisors, and CFOs with transformative strategies that bridge the gap between knowledge and action. In this session, you’ll learn how to:
 
  • Master the Art of Persuasion: Understand the psychological underpinnings of decision-making to better influence client behaviour.
  • Enhance Communication Skills: Learn techniques to present complex financial information in a clear, compelling manner that resonates with your audience
  • Build Trust: Discover the keys to establishing and maintaining trust, the cornerstone of any advisory relationship.
  • Drive Action: Equip yourself with ethical strategies to motivate clients to take informed actions based on your advice.
Whether you’re advising on tax matters, guiding strategic business decisions, or leading an accounting team, this session will provide you with the tools to ensure your voice is heard and your advice is followed. Connect with your clients and colleagues on a deeper level to achieve the professional impact you aspire to.
 
Join: Alexandra Bond Burnet
 
From the initial stages of inception, where they provide crucial insights into financial frameworks and securing funding, to the subsequent phases of growth and expansion, where they navigate challenges and optimize resources for scalability, finance directors emerge as indispensable strategic partners.
 
Their expertise extends beyond just managing finances; they become instrumental in fostering innovation, driving collaboration and steering businesses through inevitable setbacks. Finance directors serve as pillars of resilience and vision, ensuring that businesses not only survive but thrive in the ever-changing landscape of the market.
 
Join: Becky Glover, Sean Farnell, Gaye Prime
Paul Resch, CEO and Founder of Valutico, acknowledged as one of the UK’s most trusted value-add supporting partners to Accountants, will offer practical insights on growing your advisory work capabilities when conducting business valuations.
 
Discover why more and more firms are adopting leading-edge technology to revolutionise their approach on transactions, making valuation mandates quicker, simpler and saving considerable time in the process. Gain firsthand insight into the ease of harnessing semi-automation to enhance valuation workflow efficiency and access essential private and SME market data, traditionally challenging to find. Learn how these advancements enable even more effective and accurate valuations in a fraction of the usual time.
 
Join: Paul Resch

Finding the right buyer is crucial to anyone looking to sell their company or raise private equity investment. In today’s market it is now becoming more and more apparent that business owners looking to sell are being influenced not only by price but also by those buyers who offer the ideal solution and the future success of the business as well as its employees.

Join: Paul Lupton

Information
Business Owners

Sector Support

Get in Touch

Client Needs Assessment (PVH)
Exit Planning 101 Assessment
FiMBO Self Assessment

Growing Your Numbers 2024 © VFD Pro Ltd, All Rights Reserved