CPD Partner webinars, podcasts and video updates: free professional development

Sustainability is no longer something that businesses can afford to ignore, and paying lip service is not good enough. The Environmental, Social and Governance (ESG) agenda is having real impacts on businesses. ESG is set to expand exponentially in the next few years and is likely to be accelerated by the outcome of COP26, as the spotlight is put on net-zero economies and sustainable, ethical business.

It is no longer a side issue but forming part of an organisation’s core strategy and decision making. Progressive companies are no longer simply thinking about the direct cost of production, but the future cost of overcoming emerging environmental disasters and climate related-related events. Regulators and governments also have the sustainability agenda firmly in their sights with climate change as what they regard as the most pressing issue.

This joint webinar with BPP and ICAS considers how the issue of sustainability impacts business and the work of accountants. The increasing importance and relevance of the social strand of ESG will also be highlighted, particularly now as we begin the COVID-19 recovery phase.

In particular the webinar covers:

• The definition of ESG/sustainability and its importance and relevance
• How sustainability represents more than just climate change
• The latest sustainability reporting requirements
• The impact of sustainable thinking on business’ decision making
• The implications for financial reporting
• Carrot v stick approach – how best to drive behavioural change

Who is this session for?
Whilst this webinar was aimed at a CAs and a general business audience, it is highly recommend for wider finance professionals involved in decision making, raising finance and reporting in their businesses.

About the presenters
Anne Adrain is Head of Sustainability and Reporting at ICAS. Anne has been with ICAS for almost 10 years and has been responsible for raising awareness of sustainability that is relevant to the Accountancy profession during that time. Anne represents ICAS on a variety of UK and international sustainability forums including the Prince’s Accounting for Sustainability Project, (A4S), Accountancy Europe and the SDG Network Scotland.

Bruce Cowie is the Head of Financial Reporting Programmes at BPP Professional Development. He is a chartered accountant who has trained in financial reporting for over 35 years in the UK and across the world for companies of all sizes, accounting firms, accounting bodies, and government entities. He has a deep expertise and experience in IFRS Standards and UK GAAP, and brings a genuine enthusiasm and engagement to areas many consider dry. He has recently become increasingly focused on sustainability reporting and the need for this to have rigour, and to be integrated with companies’ annual financial reporting, rather than being viewed as a cosmetic add-on.

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In the modern workplace, resilience and emotional intelligence can help employees in adapting to change caused by technological and environmental factors. Alongside any uncertainties that may exist, it can also help in communicating and coordinating projects effectively.

This webinar, led by BPP’s John Michael and Joana Suta, previews course content that showcases how employees learn to develop their resilience and emotional intelligence. In addition, it can also lead to greater effectiveness and robust wellbeing both professionally and personally.

In particular, this webinar covers key learning outcomes from dedicated courses that include:

• Knowledge and understanding of the concepts of resilience and emotional intelligence, how they are defined, the factors that influence them, how they manifest themselves, their links to mental health and how they apply to organisational effectiveness
• Ability to assess and reflect on own levels of resilience and emotional intelligence, and their impact on personal goals
• Practical knowledge of how to develop and manage resilience and emotional intelligence

Who is this session for?

While this webinar was aimed at a general business audience, BPP highly recommend this session to HR Professionals, Managers and Business Leaders or those with responsibilities of managing teams.

About the presenters

This session was hosted by BPP’s John Michael and Joana Suta.

John Michael completed his PhD at the University of Vienna in 2010 and has since held positions as a lecturer in psychology as well as philosophy.

Joana is an Organisational Psychologist, holder of a Ph.D in 2011 in Rome. She is currently working as a lecturer, with additional experience as researcher and consultant.

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Explore the opportunities that data can present in your organisation.

Data is changing the way we work.

This BPP webinar, hosted by Daniel Clark and Dr Sam Penrice, will help you understand more on how data is used, the opportunities it presents and barriers to using it effectively, as well as how you can go about upskilling your staff in this area.

In particular, this webinar covers the following:

• What is data?
• How is data used in our lives and in business?
• What are the opportunities data presents?
• What are the key barriers to using data?
• What does BPP offer to enhance skills and confidence in data?

Who is this session for?
While this webinar was aimed at a general business audience, it is highly recommend for HR professionals and business leaders who need to understand more about data analysis, and address data as a skill priority in their business functions. 

About the presenters
This session was led by Daniel Clark and Dr Sam Penrice.

Daniel Clark is Head of Technology Professional Development at BPP, with responsibility for short courses relating to technology. He is a Chartered Accountant by training and has had a varied career in finance, HR, management and education. He is currently studying for a PhD at Lancaster University, researching the digital skills of professionals.

Dr Sam Penrice is a Data Tutor at BPP. Her work experience includes data science roles in edutech and agdata companies. Her career began in biosciences and she has gained over a decade of data analytics experience in multiple fields as well as diverse teaching experience. Sam has publications in a range of disciplines including biosciences, human computer interactions and psychology.

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Sustainability is no longer something that businesses can afford to ignore, and paying lip service is not good enough. The Environmental Social and Governance (ESG) agenda is having real impacts on businesses. Capital now is increasingly only flowing to those firms that prove their credentials in this area. Progressive companies are no longer simply thinking about the direct cost of production, but the future cost of overcoming emerging environmental disasters. Firms that succeed in the future will be the ones that fully embrace the issue.

This BPP webinar considers the different impacts of sustainability on businesses, and highlight areas where action is required.

In particular the webinar covers:

• The importance of the sustainability agenda
• How ESG informs capital raising and investment decisions
• The latest sustainability reporting requirements
• The panacea that is True Cost accounting and the impact of sustainable thinking on our decision making
• Environmental taxation and the way that it affects businesses

Who is this session for?
While this webinar was aimed at a general business audience, it is highly recommend for accountants and finance professionals involved in decision making, raising finance and reporting in their businesses.

About the presenters
Bruce Cowie is the Head of Financial Reporting Programmes at BPP Professional Development. He is a chartered accountant who has trained in financial reporting for over 35 years in the UK and across the world for companies of all sizes, accounting firms, accounting bodies, and government entities. He has a deep expertise and experience in IFRS Standards and UK GAAP, and brings a genuine enthusiasm and engagement to areas many consider dry. He has recently become increasingly focused on sustainability reporting and the need for this to have rigour, and to be integrated with companies’ annual financial reporting, rather than being viewed as a cosmetic add-on.

Andy Wilkes is the Programme Manager for Business & Finance training at BPP Professional Development. He is a qualified accountant with a wealth of experience having occupied a number of senior roles in the in the public sector, run his own business for 10 years, as well as being a highly experienced trainer at BPP. Andy specialises in teaching finance to managers in an accessible and business focused way to help improve financial efficiency within organisations. Andy’s wide experience means that he brings a unique perspective to his courses which he delivers with passion and a driving enthusiasm for the subject matter. He has a particular passion for sustainability which started with a Biology degree majoring in Ecology, and has never left him.

Michael Steed is Head of Tax at BPP Professional  Development. He is a Chartered Tax Adviser and provides tax courses to BPP’s corporate clients. He has practical experience of a wide range of taxes, both direct and indirect and has an interest in environmental taxation and the tax aspects of green technology. This is a field that is changing rapidly and Michael is closely following events.

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This BPP webinar, in partnership with TSB, highlights the return on investment and instant uplift that TSB staff experienced when undertaking data courses with BPP. You can learn how TSB have empowered their employees to develop a data mindset, underpinned by a clear data skills framework which maps internal capabilities to training and development pathways. Through understanding TSB’s story, this webinar also provides user-cases for organisations who wish to adopt a data-first culture and are looking for alternative ways as to how this can be achieved.

Who is this session for?
This webinar is highly recommended for business leaders and HR professionals that are responsible for establishing a clear data framework, including data learning objectives, and overall delivering a shift in mindset to establish a data-driven culture.

About the presenters
This session was hosted by BPP’s Emma O’Dell, with a panel discussion featuring Richard Howse, Daniel Clarke, and TSB’s Richard Hurlock-Norton.

Emma O’Dell is Director of Client Capability at BPP. She is responsible for helping clients to better manage their people risk while creating a plan towards their future workforce. Emma’s previous experience also includes senior leadership roles at Barclays and RBS.

Richard Howse has over 13 years’ experience at BPP and is currently Managing Director of Professional Development. With a background in client facing roles, Richard has success working directly with clients to design tailored corporate training solutions.

Daniel is Head of Technology Professional Development at BPP, leading the development of our short courses to enhance the digital skills and confidence of the workforce. He has over fourteen years’ experience in the development, delivery and management of professional education. Prior to this, he held a range of finance, management and HR roles for employers including Barclays, EY and Goldman Sachs.

Richard Hurlock-Norton is a HR and Learning professional with almost 20 years in the Financial Services sector, Richard has worked on multiple mergers and acquisitions as the owner of skills transfer and future skills taxonomy from his career in Lloyds and TSB whilst focusing on the future skills needed of the workforce.

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In a competitive business environment, it can be argued that key staff within a business, company, partnership or charitable organisation should have an understanding of finance. This crucial knowledge not only benefits individuals, but can also contribute to their organisation’s success.

This session, hosted by BPP’s Andy Wilkes, gives an overview to help you understand some of the key dynamics of finance. It also encourages effective working with finance colleagues in your organisation. During this webinar, there is an introduction to the BPP's online learning platform. Then, delegates as a group put together their own business and account, constructing a unique Profit and Loss (P&L) statement. In addition, the session  discusses various pieces of financial terminology within the P&L and reflect on the results.

Who is this session for?
While this webinar was aimed at a general business audience, it is highly recommend for professionals who need to better understand the financial information within their firm.

About the presenter
This session is led by Andy Wilkes, Head of Programme for Business and Finance at BPP. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with over 17 years in management and senior management positions. Andy has worked with several project-based teams to oversee the development, and in some cases implementation, of large Oracle based finance systems. He also boasts experience as a Team Leader for Change Management and Budgeting during the implementation of three resource accounting systems across Government. Andy is passionate about developing an atmosphere within the classroom that encourages questions and experiential learning through the latest and sustainable techniques. 

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Employers know that their organisation and people need to develop their data skills, yet don’t always know how to define data skills or identify which skills are in short supply. As part of this webinar, hosted by BPP’s Emma O’Dell and David Palmer, they showcase how BPP partners with organisations to create data skills frameworks for different data users in their business. It highlights how these frameworks can be used to assess the level of data literacy their people have.

Additionally, this session looks at how BPP frameworks are supported by a variety of data training programmes that can be customised to your organisation. Crucially, this ensures your business remains competitive in an ever-changing digital environment.

Who is this session for?
We would highly recommend this webinar to HR professionals who focus on the strategy for identifying and implementing capability analysis, and learning and development needs, of their organisation. 

About the presenters
This session was hosted by BPP’s Emma O’Dell and David Palmer.

Emma O’Dell is Director of Client Capability at BPP. She is responsible for helping clients to better manage their people risk while creating a plan towards their future workforce. Emma’s previous experience also includes senior leadership roles at Barclays and RBS.

David Palmer is Thought Leadership Partner at BPP. Having studied English at Oxford, David went on to join student-focused research firm Trendence UK, holding project manager and research management roles before joining BPP in 2018.

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Add value to your organisation and CV by increasing your digital literacy in accounting.

The use of data is now the world’s biggest business.” The Economist, 27 Oct 2020

Data analytics is revolutionising the way accountants and finance professionals add value to their clients and organisations.
Accountancy has always been focused on data, and the insights that can be gleaned from analytics. In today’s age the modern accountant has access to analytics tools and techniques that are advancing at a faster pace than at any time in the profession’s history.

This webinar, hosted by Dave Culley, explores why an understanding of data analytics is integral to an accountant’s professional development. In particular, this session:

• Introduces concepts such as big data, machine learning and AI
• Demonstrates how these elements are currently being applied in accountancy
• Explores the benefits of new analytics tools in the industry

Who is this webinar for?
This interactive webinar is essential for anybody planning to have a career in accountancy or finance over the next decade and beyond. It requires no prior knowledge of technology or big data analytics.

About the presenter
This session was led by David Culley at BPP. David Culley has 15 years’ experience delivering workshops and training in accountancy, business management, technology and personal development. During his career, David Culley has been responsible for programme design, authoring content and providing tuition both face-to-face and online. With technical expertise that covers business strategy and management, financial management, business technology, corporate governance and ethics, David’s knowledge is founded on practical experience as a business leader, as well as memberships of the ACCA and the Institute of Leadership & Management. In addition, his current research areas include big data, Artificial Intelligence, and the future of the accountancy profession.

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The demands on business budgets are greater than ever before due to escalating complexity. This includes factors such as increased sales and marketing channels, more competition, greater demand for improved customer experience, financial pressures and uncertainties.

Marketing can make up a significant area of spend and is essential for driving immediate and long term growth. With a need to secure the bottom line without compromising sales, how confident are you about challenging your head of marketing to ensure that budget is being spent effectively? Have you got the right metrics in place to ensure marketing spend is not just driving short term wins, but long term brand and customer equity?

This session, led by Alicia Farrell, explores how to evaluate the importance of the key stages in marketing and identify appropriate financial perspectives to lead to more effective marketing spend and ROI.

It covers:

• Purpose of marketing
• Effective marketing planning
• Integrated marketing
• Profitable customer relationships
• Channel strategy and management
• Marketing control

Who is this session for?
We highly recommend this session for finance professionals or general managers without marketing or financial experience, who are seeking to enhance their business acumen to effectively challenge marketing strategy and proposals in a way that adds value to the business. These roles may include:

• Junior accountants/ (Marketing) Investment advisers
• Finance and Investment managers / analysts
• Business partners
• Portfolio managers
• Senior finance managers
• Finance director
• General Managers without marketing or financial experience (i.e. those that may have come from a sales, HR or other background)

About the presenter
This session was led by experienced marketing and finance professional, Alicia Farrell. With over seventeen years working on the frontline in both finance and marketing with internationally renowned brands, Alicia is well placed to deliver her expertise in marketing to finance professionals. She is a qualified ACA accountant and teaches on BPP’s ‘Finance for non-Finance Managers’, ‘Introduction to Bookkeeping’ and bespoke Marketing training courses. Alicia has eight years’ experience in developing and delivering training courses in both finance and marketing and is an enthusiastic and energetic trainer. Her approach helps to relay the detail and complexities of both accounting, financial management and marketing strategy in an engaging and straightforward manner whilst also maintaining a higher level view to give a practical and commercial context.

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In this session, get an expert overview of the main 2021 Budget announcements and what they could mean. This BPP webinar provides expert analysis, in addition to a live Q&A, with BPP's Head of Tax Michael Steed. Following events of the last 12 months, this budget is likely to be a critical statement for business and personal finance matters beyond next year.

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we highly recommend for finance industry professionals.

About the presenter
This session was led by BPP’s Head of Tax Michael Steed. Michael is a Chartered Tax Adviser, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Tax and former President of the ATT. A Cambridge graduate with extensive tax experience, Michael is a regular contributor for taxation and accountancy magazines, covering a diverse range of tax issues including IR35, contractor taxation, the gig economy and lots more.

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This informative BPP webinar discusses the impact Brexit could have on clients and planning for your audit. Hosted by Terry Rickeard, the session includes a combination of the most recent Brexit updates and what to consider from auditing standards. It also gives external auditors an understanding of the most up-to-date challenges and considerations in relation to Brexit, to help you plan current and future audit work effectively.

In particular, this webinar covers:

• Considerations when planning audits
• Analysis on recent updates in the context of Brexit
• Considerations from the ISAs

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we highly recommend for professionals at all auditor grades.

About the presenter
This session was led by Terry Rickeard. Terry is a qualified CIPFA accountant, audit technical specialist and trainer. He has 12 years’ experience in commercial and public sector audit, both client-based and as a technical specialist. This includes listed and unlisted companies in the commercial sector, to NHS and local government clients in the public sector. His five years’ experience as a trainer/ facilitator includes work with Grant Thornton as a training lead, along with curation and delivery of Cranfield University MBA Financial and Management Accounting modules.

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A large part of British employment law derives from the UK’s 48-year membership of the EU, with decisions of the ECJ previously having had a huge impact on UK employment rights and obligations. However, Brexit does not mean that EU law and decisions past and future of the ECJ, can be ignored. The starting point is that EU law and the UK laws implementing it, including decisions of the ECJ and British courts before 2021, remain the law and still have effect.

This one hour BPP webinar presented by Dino Galassi, reviews how Brexit affects employment legal advice, litigation and businesses seeking to comply with their legal obligations. It covers:

• The extent to which past and future decisions of the ECJ remain relevant
• Which British courts remain bound by pre 2021 decisions of the ECJ and which can diverge
• In the Trade and Cooperation Agreement, what the UK government agreed on continued alignment with EU law
• To what extent can the English Parliament repeal and/or diverge from existing and future EU employment law? (includes illustrations of the complexity ahead and what all this means in practical terms for advisers, businesses and litigants)

Who is this session for?
This webinar is highly recommended for legal professionals, including trainees. However, it may also be useful for others with a high level of understanding of employment law and the judicial system, including HR professionals. 

About the presenter
This session was led by qualified solicitor Dino Galassi, experienced in all aspects of employment law. Dino’s career features a number of leading law firms and global companies, providing training to other employment lawyers, businesses and in-house counsel. His experience has led to a focus on building relationships and providing strategic, risk-based advice. This encompasses a creative approach where feasible, rather than giving standard solutions and caveated advice. Dino has an approach that is grounded in the recognition that people’s jobs are a fundamental part of their lives. The way staff are treated can affect organisational reputation, with this being an important responsibility of the employment lawyer. In addition, he is HRNet Coordinator at the Cranfield Trust, an advice and know-how service for the voluntary sector.

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Professionals working in the legal and finance sectors can often face sustained periods of stress. In this series of three webinars we will look at what professionals can do in the COVID-19 era to enhance their mental health. The main aims are to improve delegates’ health and resilience throughout the pandemic and its eventual aftermath.

The first of these sessions, written and presented by Lois Alexander Forbes, will introduce the science of resilience and evidence-based cognitive-behavioural strategies to help deal with the stressors of the pandemic.

The following sessions (dates TBC) will also cover:

• How the pandemic follows the classic cycle recognised by disaster psychology with its corresponding psychological responses and how growth can follow from adversity.
• The introduction of evidence-based models of wellbeing and wisdom to help delegates understand they can master skills which will help them flourish and get through the pandemic.

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, BPP highly recommend for legal and finance professionals. Demand for this session is expected to be high, so early booking is recommended.

About the presenter
This webinar is presented by psychologist and non-practising solicitor, Dr Lois Alexander Forbes. With a legal background in insurance litigation, Lois has over seventeen years’ experience of delivering training programmes for professionals in law, medicine and emergency response. She holds a PhD in Psychology and has taught disaster psychology and the history of psychiatry to undergraduates and MSc students. This is in addition to teaching basic psychology to trainee psychiatrists and BPP’s course on ‘Psychological Survival Skills for Lawyers’.

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Ever wondered how good your influencing skills are?

This expert BPP session, hosted by Simon Horton, explores effective communication methods to influence others.

During this webinar you will follow a simple framework of influencing, with a step-by-step process to persuade others more effectively. This includes techniques and tips to encourage favourable outcomes while enhancing relationships at the same time.

You can develop your skills in the following ways:

• Communicate to others in a more compelling way
• Persuade others to what you would like them to do
• Work more successfully with clients, suppliers, colleagues and stakeholders
• Know how to communicate your message to different people

Who is this session for?
This webinar is aimed at current and future professionals who are likely to use influencing skills as part of their day-to-day role.

About the presenter
Simon Horton is a published author who teaches negotiation skills. Having taught hostage negotiators, top banks, law firms and many other blue chip global names, his second book - 'The Leader's Guide to Negotiation' was published in April 2016 by The Financial Times. He began his career at Cap Gemini and went on to work as a freelance management consultant, mainly in the financial services sector. Simon also presents regularly at NLP conferences and runs NLP certification courses to Master Practitioner level.

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The Profit and Loss (P&L) statement is one of the key indicators used to assess a company's performance. This webinar, hosted by BPP’s Andy Wilkes, is designed to introduce non-finance managers to the importance and structure of the P&L - and how this can affect a company’s bottom line.

During the session attendees help to put together a business account and related P&L statement. While exploring the financial terminology and results of the P&L, this webinar will enhance your ability to:

• Communicate with finance staff by understanding financial terms and principles
• Increase the profitability of your organisation
• Structure your financial systems to the needs of the business
• Explain the difference between profit and cash

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we would highly recommend for management at all levels and professionals who don’t have a background in finance.

About the presenter
Andy Wilkes is Head of Programme for Business and Finance at BPP. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with over 17 years in management and senior management positions. Andy has worked with several project-based teams to oversee the development, and in some cases implementation, of large Oracle based finance systems. He also boasts experience as a Team Leader for Change Management and Budgeting during the implementation of three resource accounting systems across Government. Andy is passionate about developing an atmosphere within the classroom that encourages questions and experiential learning through the latest and sustainable techniques.

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As a current or aspiring manager, having a top-level grasp of the budget process can be useful in understanding how your firm or business works.

This webinar, presented by BPP’s Andy Wilkes, is designed to introduce non-financial managers to the budgeting process, from the high-level budget through to cash being paid to suppliers and received from customers.

During the session you will be introduced to BPP’s online learning platform – from here, group members can suggest a business and think about some of the budgetary implications associated to it. The session will explore what the budgeting process should be, and what an ideal budgetary structure should look like. In addition, you will also consider some of the less conventional behaviours around the budgeting process.

This webinar will enhance your ability to:

• Construct a meaningful and robust budgetary system
• Construct a meaningful budget
• Identify “perverse” behaviour in the budgeting process and deal with it
• Communicate with your finance business partners using their terminology

Who is this session for?

While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we would highly recommend for anyone in any organisation who is involved in preparing a budget, including all levels of management. Due to the popularity of our webinars, priority is given to current business professionals working in practice, firms and other commercial organisations.

About the presenter
Andy Wilkes is Head of Programme for Business and Finance at BPP. He is a CIMA qualified accountant with over 17 years in management and senior management positions.

Andy has worked with several project-based teams to oversee the development, and in some cases implementation, of large Oracle based finance systems. He also boasts experience as a Team Leader for Change Management and Budgeting during the implementation of three resource accounting systems across Government. Andy is passionate about developing an atmosphere within the classroom that encourages questions and experiential learning through the latest and sustainable techniques.

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Ways of working in professional services firms are changing rapidly, and this has a direct impact on organisational capability. With the development of data analytic capabilities, automation in audit tasks, augmented decision-making and blockchain that promises to streamline bookkeeping, the skillset of the accountant, and employees in this sector, will need to evolve.

This BPP webinar explores their organisational capability approach and how it can help businesses plan for future roles in the industry. It also gives includes an overview of the market and key trends relating to current skills gaps.

In particular, the webinar looks at:

• Data analytics for accountants
• The digitalisation of audit
• The impact of digitalisation on advisory professionals
• The digitalisation of tax

In addition, the BPP team also shares new research on current and future skills rankings that are pertinent across several sectors beyond the professional services market. This is based on responses from over 1,500 professionals in the UK, Singapore, Hong Kong and Malaysia.

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, it is highly recommend for L&D business leaders or decision makers who need to understand their capability gaps – this may also include those who require insights to identify and fill those gaps.

About the presenters
This session was hosted by BPP’s Emma O’Dell and David Palmer.

Emma O’Dell is Director of Client Capability at BPP. She is responsible for helping clients to better manage their people risk while creating a plan towards their future workforce. Emma’s previous experience also includes senior leadership roles at Barclays and RBS.

David Palmer is Thought Leadership Partner at BPP. Having studied English at Oxford, David went on to join student-focused research firm Trendence UK, holding project manager and research management roles before joining BPP in 2018.

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With risks facing firms in every sector, the likelihood of struggling or even failing to save a business is currently higher than ever. This webinar, presented by BPP’s Charanjit Uppal, explores some of the options and protections available for businesses who may be finding it hard to survive. It will cover the basic concepts around corporate insolvency and the influence that senior leaders have during the process.

In addition, the session will enhance your understanding and knowledge of the following:

• The insolvency framework for businesses
• Key practical considerations for businesses emerging after the COVID-19 pandemic risks have been mitigated
• The options for businesses facing financial distress
• Recognising the role directors will play

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we would highly recommend for business leaders, prospective insolvency professionals or those with a specific interest in insolvency.

About the presenter
This session was led by BPP’s Head of Insolvency and Restructuring, Charanjit Uppal. Charanjit is a qualified insolvency solicitor who has over a decade of experience at BPP alone in teaching all aspects of restructuring and insolvency. His expertise is trusted as a consultant in advising companies and individuals in this field, including retailers and manufacturers.

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With current developments affecting businesses of all sizes, our session explores the impact this will have on financial reporting for 2020/2021.This BPP webinar presented by Bruce Cowie (Head of Financial Reporting Programmes at BPP) and will enhance your ability to assess current and potential effects on a company’s financial reporting of:

• COVID-19
• Brexit
• Recent IFRS developments
• Changes to FRS 102

Who is this session for?
This one-hour session is highly recommended for anyone involved in the preparation of financial statements for 2020/2021. This includes business owners and managers involved in the management of financial statements. In addition, it will also be useful to professionals who read and analyse financial statements.

About the presenter
Bruce Cowie is Head of Financial Reporting Programmes at BPP, having also delivered financial reporting training in the UK, Europe, Qatar, USA, South America, Australia and the Asia Pacific region. Bruce qualified as a chartered accountant with Thornton Baker (later Grant Thornton) in 1984, and his experience includes a range of senior roles over 30 a year period. With a genuine enthusiasm for his subjects, Bruce has built a wide reputation for making the dullest topics interesting, engaging and understandable – with a focus on the practical application of financial reporting standards, and not just technical detail.

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The fallout from the lockdown and COVID-19 is set to have major economic implications in the UK and beyond. This BPP webinar looks at key economic metrics and their associated influence on individuals and business. As these head to unprecedented levels, our training partner BPP explores what this means for you and your business. This includes:

• GDP
• National Deficit
• National Debt
• Unemployment

They also consider how governments and central banks will have to adjust fiscal and monetary policy to accommodate a post-COVID world - and what that ultimately means for everyone. In addition, the session reviews how financial markets reacted to the crisis, while considering what we could expect from them in the future.

Who is this session for?
This webinar is aimed at a business audience, including anyone with a general interest in finance.

About the presenter
This session was led by Kevin Tilley. Kevin is a highly experienced financial trainer, with a demonstrated history of success across the financial services industry in both exam and non-exam training. With a Doctorate of Philosophy (PhD) in Chemistry & Biochemistry, Kevin started his career in investment management. With 14 years of professional experience in training, he is skilled in training delivery, exam preparation and coaching.

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During challenging times the most resilient organisations are prepared with strategies to overcome a potential crisis. As it stands, we are currently experiencing a period of unprecedented global uncertainty due to geopolitical events, the COVID-19 pandemic and major economic consequences.

This one-hour webinar from our training partner BPP Professional Development, is designed to introduce some of the tools to adapt, stay relevant and flourish during uncertain times – achieved in-part with the increasing pace of disruptive technologies.

During this interactive session, find out how to:

• Find the language to acknowledge an uncertain future
• Consider how to build defences against the next crisis to hit a business
• Reset forecasting approach of future performance
• Re-evaluate ways of working against the need for agility
• Identify the human skills finance managers will need to thrive

This will enhance your ability to:

• Categorise potential future shocks
• Be ready for the next crisis
• Adjust forecasting skills to make them fit for more unpredictable times
• Select and adopt new ways of working and higher-level ‘human’ skills

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we would highly recommend for business finance professionals who want to develop the skills to help them adapt and be prepared for any future turbulence or crisis.

About the presenter
This session was hosted by Roy Chambers. Roy is a finance professional with international senior commercial experience in a major plc and a background in finance training. He combines experience with development skills to improve business finance through better strategy, evaluation, decisions and leadership. Roy consults for businesses in various sectors. His courses reflect hands-on knowledge of leading finance functions, managing strategy and planning, and acquisition projects.

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As more employees switch to working remotely, firms are being faced with new ways of motivating their staff. Working online has temporarily become the norm during COVID-19 – which some employers may continue once restrictions are lifted. Our training partner BPP, ran a free webinar to give practical advice for managers needing to motivate and manage staff remotely.

The webinar reflects on different management styles and the impact your leadership can have on your direct reports. In particular, it explored different ways of how to motivate staff who work remotely.

This webinar should help you with enhancing your ability to:

• Develop a management style that fits with your strengths, your organisation’s objectives and the needs of your remote worker
• Consider a variety of motivational techniques that will maximise the efficiency and effectiveness of your team

About the presenter

Dave Culley has 15 years’ experience delivering workshops and training in accountancy, business management, technology and personal development. During his career, Dave Culley has been responsible for programme design, authoring content and providing tuition both face-to-face and online.

With technical expertise that covers business strategy and management, financial management, business technology, corporate governance and ethics, Dave’s knowledge is founded on practical experience as a business leader, as well as memberships of the ACCA and the Institute of Leadership & Management. In addition, his current research areas include big data, Artificial Intelligence and the future of the accountancy profession.

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Listen to advice and expert guidance on the government schemes designed to help businesses during the COVID-19 crisis.

As the UK introduces a wave of measures to help businesses, this webinar explored what they are and how they work. These include:

• The Corona Virus Job Retention Scheme (the furlough scheme)
• The self-employment income support scheme (the taxable grant scheme)
• Business rate holidays
• Deferring VAT and self-assessment payments
• Cash grants for retail, hospitality and leisure businesses
• Government support for home-workers

Do these government schemes cover everyone?

There are scenarios where not everyone is covered by the measures, and some of the new options introduced lack detail or clarity from the government. This webinar looked at those who can benefit, and those who don’t, while detailing how anyone who isn’t covered might cope during this period.

About the presenter

The session was led by our training partner BPP’s Head of Tax, Michael Steed - a Chartered Tax Adviser, Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Tax and former President of the ATT. A Cambridge graduate with extensive tax experience, Michael is a regular contributor for taxation and accountancy magazines, covering a diverse range of tax issues including IR35, contractor taxation, the gig economy and lots more.

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Webinar:  2020Spring Budget

Following recent developments in parliament, the first budget statement following EU withdrawal took place on 11 March 2020. Our training partner BPP ran a free online webinar on Friday 13 March 2020, giving an overview of the main announcements and what they could mean.

This webinar featured expert analysis and a live Q&A with BPP's Head of Tax, Michael Steed, on what is likely to be a critical statement for business and personal finance matters beyond next year. Michael, who is an experienced tax consultant and lecturer, is also a former ATT President, current co-chair of the ATT's Tax Technical Committee and BPP's Head of Tax.

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ICAS and Amiqus presents the first instalment of a webinar series on AML compliance for accountancy firms. In April 2019, ICAS announced a new partnership with anti-money laundering and compliance specialists Amiqus ID. Amiqus ID provide ICAS members with a single point of access to the upfront and ongoing compliance checks required for clients and staff.

Watch this inaugural webinar to find out:

• why we partnered
• the AML responsibilities for accountancy firms
• how technology adoption can help you meet your compliance obligations

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This free on-demand webinar recording explores the latest developments in financial crime risk management and examines what businesses should consider in building their risk management response. Chris Usher (Head of International Financial Centres at BPP) hosted this session and discussed the extra-territorial nature of international financial crime legislation, the role of increasingly emboldened international regulatory bodies and evolving typologies of risk such as tax evasion risk management and sanctions breaches.

Who will benefit from watching:

• Those with exposure to financial crime risk at any level.
• Those who work in compliance and risk management within the financial services industry and related professions including accountants, lawyers, estate agents.
• Those wishing to stay out of jail for breaches of financial crime legislation.

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Join Mark McNee from QuickBooks for this ICAS exclusive webinar, as we discuss the MTD tools available for accounting professionals to comply in the shortest amount of time.

Watch this one-hour on demand webinar to:

• Get first-hand experience from the MTD beta and what’s next from HMRC
• Learn how to overcome the challenges facing your firm during the digital transition
• Develop a seamless plan to onboard your clients to cloud accounting software
• Have your questions answered in a live Q&A session

Jump start your Making Tax Digital journey with this free webinar.

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The FCA and regulators across the world state that part of their responsibility is to ensure that the integrity of the markets is maintained. UK financial institutions are responsible for minimising their risk of being used for criminal purposes, particularly the facilitation of money laundering or terrorist financing - banks and other regulated firms must ensure that they, and their clients, are protected from any aspects of these crimes.

UK firms and individuals with responsibilities are continually being held accountable for failure to implement systems and controls which can act as a deterrent, the most notable Deutsche in 2017 for £163 million. This webinar recaps on the essential components of financial crime and provides a useful compliance ‘Checklist’ against which you can benchmark your own firm’s defences.

This session is led by Vivienne Bannigan. Vivienne is a regulatory risk professional with extensive experience in Wholesale Capital Markets in both the public and private banking sector in the UK and internationally.

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What are the biggest gaps you need to watch out for to set your business up for success? Do you have visibility of all your travel booking data before it occurs? Are inefficient approval processes impacting your cash flow? And how accurate are the mileage expenses your employees are claiming? It can be a challenge to unpick when you don't have visibility over your entire travel, expense and invoice spend, but the costs of getting it wrong aren't worth the risk.

This free SAP Concur webinar shines a light on the biggest blind spots facing finance leaders in businesses of all sizes.

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The GDPR came into force on 25 May 2018 and represents a once in a generation change in the rules on data protection. This webinar from BPP (presented by Keith Markham) summarises the key changes introduced and discusses the practical steps that can be taken to ensure compliance.

Keith Markham is a former in-house lawyer now working as a freelance training consultant. He has more than ten years’ experience of both practising and lecturing in the field of data protection and is the author of ‘A Practical Guide to the General Data Protection Regulation’.

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The concept of finance managers playing a fuller business role is not new. However, the current heightened sense of uncertainty, pressure on business performance delivery and accelerating advance of technology provide finance managers with a greater than ever imperative to develop their business partnership capabilities. This webinar offered through our training partner BPP and presented by Roy Chambers, provides an overview of the role, how it can be developed further and practical tips to succeed.

Roy is a finance professional with international senior commercial experience in a major Plc and a background in finance training. Roy combines experience with development skills delivering programmes that reflect a hands-on knowledge leading finance functions.

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Transfer Pricing (TP) is a major strand of tax DNA that affects mostly multi-national corporations (MNCs) operating across international boundaries. This invasive principle demands that group members of MNCs price their goods and services between them on an arm’s length basis and this helps tackle the long-held practice of shifting profits artificially out of high tax environments into low tax environments.

The principles of TP were set out by the OECD and have undergone changes since their inception – most recently following the Basal Erosion and Profit Shifting (BEPS) Action Plan. The rules lay down a number of methods that MNCs should adopt depending on the service or good involved in the transaction. Some are easier to apply than others.

But TP is not just an international issue; it is also a national issue within the UK and will affect the prices that UK groups of companies charge between them.

HMRC is concentrating its efforts on TP issues as part of its drive to force MNCs to “play by the rules”. This year some 250 investigation cases will be launched by HMRC and they expect to recover some £1bn of tax.

But it’s not just TP – MNCs will also need to be aware that HMRC is also looking at Diverted Profits Tax (DPT) - a quasi-corporation tax at 25% (so appreciably higher than the UK background rate of 19% CT) that arises when companies artificially divert profits out of the UK and which can be seen as a souped-up version of TP. These investigations can be settled by adjusting UK TPs, so that more UK corporation tax is collected.

This BPP webinar looks at the issues and discussing some of the problems. Gary Buick and Michael Steed from BPP are joined by Jeremy Mindell.

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This on-demand webinar provides an overview of the main announcements from the 2018 Autumn Budget and what they mean for you.

On the back of the Chancellor’s key budget announcements, BPP's Head of Tax Michael Steed provides analysis on what could be a critical statement for business and personal finance matters beyond next year.

Michael has a wealth of experience as a former ATT President and is current co-chair of the ATT's Tax Technical Committee and BPP's Head of Tax.

This one-hour webinar provides a great opportunity for insights and CPD time for finance and industry professionals.

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If you want to improve your speed and efficiency with Excel then your first step is to become familiar with some of the shortcuts that are available. The secret to success is to identify the things you do all the time, learn the shortcut, then force yourself to use it, every time. It will feel awkward at first but with a little perseverance you will be amazed at the difference and will never look back. Whether you are an accountant or any other professional if you use Excel then this webinar will be useful for you. This webinar was delivered by our training partner BPP's lead Financial Modelling trainer, Dave Marlow. In the session he demos some of the more useful shortcuts and provides materials to help you practice on your own.

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The International Accounting Standards Board (IASB) has published three major International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS) that will become effective in the next few years. Will you be affected? This webinar gives a broad outline of the new standards, looking at what’s changed and the potential impact these changes could have to you and your business, in the wider context.

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In this 45-minute webinar, hear from guest speakers: Mark Campanale, Carbon Tracker Initiative; and Jon Williams, Partner PWC and FSB TCFD member; about why including climate change in financial disclosures is becoming more mainstream, and what this might mean for the accounting profession.

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In an increasingly digital business world, where more information is readily available about a company’s performance which goes beyond the traditional financial statements, how does audit and assurance also need to evolve and what does it mean for the auditors of the future? Watch this webinar to find out...

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In this short webinar, we heard from experienced finance professionals Garry Buick and Richard Mallet about the essential skills that they feel are required to be successful Finance Directors or Chief Financial Officers.

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ICAS launched its ‘The Power of One’ campaign to help re-establish ethics at the core of business practices and to rebuild public trust in business.

Through their ethical behaviour, CAs are a force for good in the organisations in which they work. They can also influence those around them, and thereby help shape the culture and values of their organisation.

In this webinar former ICAS Chief Executive, Anton Colella explained the background to the initiative, explained the key themes of ‘The Power of One’ and provided an update on the core activity delivered and that of which was planned for the future.

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The world is becoming increasingly more connected, and increasingly everything is starting to become connected to everything else. It is becoming a truly digital world.

Digital in business has produced a fundamental challenge, how we take all of this data, turn it into information and knowledge and through scenario planning, turning this knowledge into economic value. Gartner predicts that 50% of the Fortune 500 will miss this transition and will cease to exist in their current state within the next five years.

Watch this webinar on the Digitisation of Business, by Matthew Smith, Global Head of Market Development for the Internet of Things at Cisco – where he outlines some of the macro challenges and some of the opportunities that can help steer your business along the road to a successful digital transition.

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In this short video, we hear from a range of experienced CAs about the key benefits Career Mentoring can bring to CAs.

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Becoming a partner can happen in different ways, but all require determination to refine your skills and step outside your comfort zone when reaching for success. Discover key qualities and techniques that are necessary for taking the next important step in your career, in this short audio interview.

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Explore the options that firms can take during periods of commercial or financial difficulty. With risks facing firms in every sector, the likelihood of struggling or even failing to save a business is currently higher than ever.

This webinar, presented by BPP’s Charanjit Uppal, explores some of the options and protections available for businesses who may be finding it hard to survive. It will cover the basic concepts around corporate insolvency and the influence that senior leaders have during the process.

In addition, the session will enhance your understanding and knowledge of the following:

• The insolvency framework for businesses
• Key practical considerations for businesses emerging after the COVID-19 pandemic risks have been mitigated
• The options for businesses facing financial distress
• Recognising the role directors will play

Who is this session for?
While this webinar is aimed at a general business audience, we would highly recommend for business leaders, prospective insolvency professionals or those with a specific interest in insolvency. Due to the popularity of our webinars, priority is given to current business professionals working in practice, firms and other commercial organisations.

About the presenter
This session will be led by BPP’s Head of Insolvency and Restructuring, Charanjit Uppal. Charanjit is a qualified insolvency solicitor who has over a decade of experience at BPP alone in teaching all aspects of restructuring and insolvency. His expertise is trusted as a consultant in advising companies and individuals in this field, including retailers and manufacturers.

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Past Webinar: Can you manage a team effectively while working from home?

As a flexible approach to working becomes the norm, leaders across every industry are faced with new challenges in their approach to managing staff.

While more firms benefit from working remotely, this can potentially come at a price. As managers and team leaders adapt to the new normal, motivating a workforce from a different location presents a new obstacle that leaders have to quickly navigate. This includes the obstacles of email vs face-to-face dialogue, the challenges of collaborative working and more.

This webinar, hosted by BPP’s Simon Horton, explores the typical obstacles that current managers have to deal with, and how these issues can be successfully addressed. In particular, this session will offer advice and guidance on:

• Managing your staff remotely
• Motivating your staff and colleagues
• How to build a strong team without face-to-face contact

Who is this webinar for?

While this session is geared towards an overall business audience, we would highly recommend for current and aspiring people managers looking to improve their leadership skills.

About the presenter
The session was led by BPP’s Simon Horton. Simon is a published author who teaches negotiation skills. Having taught hostage negotiators, top banks, law firms and many other blue chip global names, his second book - 'The Leader's Guide to Negotiation' was published in April 2016 by The Financial Times. He began his career at Cap Gemini and went on to work as a freelance management consultant, mainly in the financial services sector. Simon also presents regularly at NLP conferences and runs NLP certification courses to Master Practitioner level.

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How does a business enhance its experience for clients and customers?

A customer centric culture focuses on creating the best experience for a brand or organisation’s customers, which in turn can build loyalty.

This session, hosted by BPP’s Felicia Tick, should help you discover more about the evolving role of HR and Business Leaders to ensure there is a business-led approach for employees to identify customer needs in their daily work.

In particular, this webinar covers:

• What customer-centricity is
• Why customer-centricity is important to organisations in today’s environment
• The critical success factors for enabling a customer-centric culture

Who is this session for?
While this webinar was aimed at a general business audience, it is highly recommended for Business Leaders, Heads of Department and HR professionals with KPI’s reflecting the need to drive greater customer-awareness for staff in client-facing roles. 

About the presenter
This session was hosted by BPP’s Felicia Tick, Head of Quality Assurance. After a 10-year successful career in FMCG marketing Felicia switched to Higher Education, becoming a marketing lecturer at BPP Business School in 2012. In the last nine years she has performed several roles in addition to teaching and assessing marketing.

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