I recently attended the 2016 European Conference for Geneva Group International in Warsaw, Poland. I was accompanied by my friend and colleague, Jed Ang, Tax Manager at M&S.
The conference consisted of 200 member delegates from countries throughout Europe and the world. One of the primary benefits of our membership is that it allows us to develop relationships with attorneys and fellow accountants worldwide. Through these relationships, both sides are able to assist clients in expanding internationally.
For example, one firm based in London shared a new service offering in which they work with start ups and clients that require additional equity. The client issues bonds using a crows funding approach which gives them access to the funding they need. This process would not necessarily work in the highly regulated U.S. securities market, but it is a good example of the need for the accountant to be open minded when faced with a new structure. It is easy to keep doing the same thing every day. This firm was successful because they actively pursued a new structure when it was presented.