The ACT’s financial year has just ended and whilst we continue to invest substantially in our qualifications and our services to members, we do expect to report a further surplus when we publish our Annual Review for 2005/06 later in the year. Our focus internally now is both on what we have coming through the pipeline for imminent delivery – such as The Treasurers’ Conference (TTC) – and on the development work underway across the range of ACT activities.
We are delighted with the response we have had to TTC – delegate space is now almost completely sold out. In developing the content (many months in advance) for an event as complex as this we work closely with members and other advisers to give us the best opportunity to create a programme that will be highly relevant when we are all assemble at The Celtic Manor. This year’s focus on risk, pensions and IFRS suggests that we have succeeded in this.
It is unfair to highlight individual sessions at TTC but I for one am greatly looking forward to hearing Adair Turner give his view of the social, political and economic issues around the pensions debate. As so much of our attention is and should be on the risk issues associated with pensions (take a look at the programme for our upcoming one day conference and our Certificate in Pensions Risk Management it will be valuable to be reminded that there is a whole further set of issues that will shape the environment in which we operate personally and professionally. Adair will certainly do that.
I am often asked about the ACT’s approach to CPD. Members will be aware that we have no ‘compulsory’ CPD but we do provide a set of material, including diagnostic tests, on the website to help validate that an individual’s understanding and skills are up-to-date. This is supported by the extensive knowledge base throughout the site, including of course the ACT’s suite of qualifications. We recognise that attitudes to and expectations of CPD are changing and we therefore have an exercise underway to assess whether we need to develop the ways in which we help members maintain current their professional knowledge. If you have views on this do please get in touch rraeburn@treasurers.org
ACT members and ICM Affiliates will have recently received renewal letters. If you have any questions about your renewal please contact Anna Corr and I am always interested to hear feedback directly from members – as above, rraeburn@treasurers.org.
