News
Risk-related earnings uncertainty sparks market expansion, efficiencies
Companies are investing in efficiencies, expanding into new markets and altering risk management processes to combat the uncertainties, according to a new survey of North American finance professionals.UK regulator considering mandatory audit firm rotation
A much awaited summary of provisional findings of the UK Competition Commission (CC) stated that companies are reluctant to change auditors because they have difficulty comparing alternatives with their existing auditor, prefer continuity, and face significant costs in switching auditors.How to get the most out of LinkedIn’s new profile
LinkedIn is a great tool for nurturing business contacts and getting you noticed by recruiters. But if neglected, your profile page can result in missed opportunities and even tarnish your professional image.UK creditworthiness inches lower
Moody’s lowered the UK’s government bond rating to Aa1 from Aaa about a year after it warned investors that weak economic growth was hampering the UK’s ability to reduce its debt and deficit.38% of CFOs rethinking retirement
Many executives are re-examining retirement plans, and more professionals nearing the traditional retirement age are exploring part-time work so they can continue their careers, Robert Half says.How to pick the next emerging growth hot spot
Brazil, Russia, India and China are losing some of their attractiveness, and multinational companies have started to look for the next global growth hot spots, a global Ernst & Young survey suggests. Find out how selecting new markets has changed.Time to listen to your CIO
Although CIOs often are overlooked in strategic conversations, their input can increase performance. Organisations that report strong collaboration between the CIO and the C-suite were overwhelmingly more likely to be top performers when compared to organisations that have less collaborative teams.Revenue recognition effective date gives time for systems changes
Businesses will have a longer-than-usual transition period between the issuance and the effective date of a new, converged revenue recognition standard.Tech CFOs expect cloud deals to boost M&A in 2013
Tech CFOs expect M&A activity to pick up this year, fueled by deals in the cloud-computing sector, a BDO survey says. Deals are expected to be driven in large part by access to technology assets and intellectual property.Five likely threats that should keep global leaders up at night
Threats that keep top experts and high-level leaders up at night are the risks that are beyond any one company or even one nation to handle. A report from the 2013 World Economic Forum lists the most likely ones with the biggest damage potential.Xerox’s Kabureck appointed to IASB, adds to US representation
Gary Kabureck, CPA, the chief accounting officer of Xerox, has been appointed to the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) and will increase US representation on the board.OECD announces Authorised Intermediary system for withholding on portfolio investments
The Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development (OECD) announced that, at its January 2013 meeting, its Committee on Fiscal Affairs (CFA) approved a standardised international system for information reporting and claiming reduced tax withholding on portfolio investments.Talent scarcity threatens growth
Nearly 30% of businesses globally expect talent shortages to hinder their expansion plans, according to new research by Grant Thornton. Nearly 40% say they are struggling to hire the right people, with 64% saying technical skills are the main obstacle.How to make the transition from CFO to non-executive director
In governance regimes where executive directors are the norm, CFOs get a useful first taste of the boardroom. The next step is to broaden that experience beyond their own companies by taking on non-executive director roles. Two executives offer tips on making the transition.Companies not tapping into big data, US CIO survey says
A majority of US chief information officers say their companies aren’t harvesting information on customers, and even those that are doing so have not necessarily turned big data into business insight. A Robert Half survey of 1,400 CIOs says that talent constraints limited companies’ ability to access and analyse business data.Cybersecurity: 2013 is already “the year of the hack”
Emerging, relentless cybersecurity threats pose a significant danger to organizations that are unprepared to detect and deter them, according to a new global survey. Known as advanced persistent threats, these attacks are not easily deterred by traditional controls.OECD wants corporate tax reform to receive international attention
As G20 finance ministers began meeting in Moscow, a study the Organisation for Economic Co-operation and Development conducted at their request found that some multinational companies pay as little as 5% in corporate taxes whereas smaller businesses pay up to 30%.Companies plan to pump up enterprise risk management
New regulation and severe weather events in the past few years are driving companies around the globe to pay more attention to enterprise risk management. Find out what threats worry executives the most and how existing ERM programmes could be improved.Android, Apple extend smartphone lead on Windows, BlackBerry
The race to dominate the market for smartphone operating systems became even more of a two-vendor competition in the fourth quarter of 2012, as Google’s Android and Apple’s iOS combined to control more than 90% of the market, leaving Microsoft’s Windows and BlackBerry hoping that their new smartphone releases can get them back on the lead lap.
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