The 2022 Russell Bedford Asia-Pacific Meeting was held on Thursday 7 and Friday 8 July at the Four Points by Sheraton, Singapore. Russell Bedford welcomed delegates from 14 firms, across 16 cities and 12 countries, demonstrating growing connections in Asia and Australia.
Following a welcome lunch, the meeting officially began with an address from Andrew Lim of the host firm, Steven Tan Russell Bedford PAC. A global network update by Russell Bedford’s CEO, Stephen Hamlet, followed. Stephen shared the network’s future plans and discussed Russell Bedford’s continued progress during the pandemic including the objectives of the strategic review, which are planned to advance the network into its next stage of development.
A workshop on Technology and Innovation was led by Global Chair, Bruce Saward and his colleague Joshua Morse from Melbourne, Australia. Delegates discussed the significance of technology, particularly during the pandemic, which led to further discussions on the latest software and products available for their practices and professions at large.
After the break, Michael Sweeney from Adelaide led another workshop, this time on Marketing in the Digital Age. It was interesting for delegates to hear from their counterparts on how marketing was used in different cultures around the region. This led to a discussion on the promotion of the Russell Bedford brand to ensure the profile of the network is continuously enhanced and extended globally.
Following a productive and full afternoon, delegates attended dinner at the Chinese restaurant at the hotel which afforded them the opportunity to catch up on a more informal basis after two years apart, while getting to know new colleagues from firms that had joined the network during that period.
The second day of the meeting commenced with the customary roundtable updates from all firms present, summarising the challenges experienced during the pandemic, the impact it had on their practice, and looking forward to the opportunities that lie ahead. After a coffee break, which had been greatly missed during recent Zoom meetings, representatives from the ACCA joined to discuss the current and crucial topic of sustainability, with a very informative and intuitive presentation by Aleksandra Zaronina-Kirillova (Head of SME Professional Insights, ACCA).
After lunch, practice and regional updates continued, which allowed delegates to learn more about the situations and recent events of global partners. Teoh Weuy Sze from Kuala Lumpur then led a workshop/discussion on the prevailing challenge of Talent Recruitment and Retention. After a short break, another workshop/discussion on Network Development in the APAC Region followed, led by Ki Lian-Heng from Singapore.
Delegates converged in the evening for a boat cruise along Singapore River and Marina Bay, followed by drinks and dinner at Rosso Vino restaurant, giving everyone the opportunity to discuss and share innovating ideas, in addition to enjoying some of the unique culture and beauty that Singapore has to offer with its towering skyscrapers.
A huge thanks to our host, Singapore member firm, Steven Tan Russell Bedford PAC and to all those who participated in making this such a successful return to physical meetings in the Asia-Pacific region.
Speaking about the meeting, Russell Bedford’s CEO Stephen Hamlet said: “What an unbelievable privilege it is to be back in the Asia Pacific region once again after such a long period apart. This region has grown from strength to strength in recent years. Our people in the region are brimming with enthusiasm for our global network and their desire to support each other in reaching their mutual business goals. It is a pleasure and honour to be with our people from this important and diverse region and to support its continued expansion.”