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Kapil discusses his journey into the Web 3.0 world. The opportunities that are present and the risks. Kapil stresses that his training as a Chartered Accountant  is helped him immensely in evaluating web 3.0  projects, since he consciously   evaluates the people (governance structure) behind the project and the risks and not just the opportunities that are present.You can watch the video interview here Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

Emergence of the creator economy In this episode of our podcast, we have Aravind and Prateek, to tell us more about an exciting space which has evolved very recently,  that is, Education in the Metaverse.  Aravind heads the blockchain products of IDS as VP and also leads the Hyperledger (One of the leading enterprise blockchain networks) governance, risk and compliance group. Their company IDS, boasts an impressive portfolio of achievements, as they have  production grade blockchain application. Their array of exciting projects include a blockchain solution for verifying the credibility of certificates and work with the central bank to create a digital currency.  IDS  has a partnership with the Indian Council for Technical Education, which has given rise to their own bespoke Metaverse called Polyversity.  Their array of exciting projects include a blockchain solution for verifying the credibility of certificates and work with the central bank to create a digital currency.  So why should we use the metaverse for education?  You can watch the video recording here  & you will be able to see the Education Metaverse. The next generation needs to be a creators, says Aravind. With Polyversity, educators will have an open content marketplace that can potentially transform the way we learn and teach. A Metaverse is where each university owns their own node, and will have a  Metaverse land, with each student having their own decentralized identity is the future that Aravind and the team at IDC envisions.  To listen to the full podcast, and experience a VR tour of the Metaverse built by IDC, click here. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast, we get a glimpse into the amazing journey that Pieter took, from humble beginnings in South Africa to incredible successes in the corporate world. Watch the video version of the podcast  to see a walkthrough of the WingStudio platform as well.  Getting degrees in Construction Management, Quantity Surveying and Law, allowed Pieter to get started in the corporate world, but he was not happy working an 8 to 5 job.  After realizing that this does not need to be the case, he decided to help impact other people’s lives, by helping them realize their strengths which lay dormant.  Looking at the extremely concerning unemployment statistics for South African youth, which is sitting at 65%, he decided to start WingStudio with 3 co-founders to help the youth of today find employment.  Having traveled widely, he recounts his experiences in Vietnam, where he met people in the outskirts of the nation, and felt the need to help them find and reach their potential. This was one of the formative experiences that was behind the development of WingStudio.  Attending the event called Suits and Sneakers, gave Pieter the idea for a platform for teaching people how to manage their formal and informal lives better. The need for a platform for the youth to showcase their talents, where the youth can consistently post about their activities, and show their transferable skills to employers is what drove the development of WingStudio website.  The basic idea is that even day to day activities, something as simple as baking a cake, has transferable skills attached that perhaps an accountant might need, namely, attention to detail.  Putting the proof into these skills from even mundane tasks is what the movement is all about.  Pieter says that the team is also working towards incorporating Blockchain to validate posts from users.  Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast, my guest is  Kamlesh Nadwara from India, a thought leader in the Blockchain space.  Currently working as the CTO for Snapper Future Tech, he has also worked extensively as a part of the Hyperledger Blockchain steering team.  Hyperledger, a global open source foundation for developing Blockchain use cases for positive impact. Kamlesh says that wherever trust and transparency between participants is required, Hyperledger can help.  As an ecosystem which gathers like-minded individuals, it allows people to source Blockchain solutions at zero cost.  Kamlesh then goes on to describe the levels to Blockchain, with a layer 1 Blockchain like ethereum where transactions are written directly on the public Blockchain.  A layer 2 technology, which is next up, overcomes scalability challenges posed by level 1 Blockchain. By running side chains on layer 2, transaction numbers per second that can be processed can rises exponentially.  Additionally, layer 2 is better for the planet too, using much less energy, to mint new blocks. Less of a carbon footprint, essentially also means savings on cost. A win-win situation.  Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this episode I discuss Blockchain economy with Brian Kuttikkat, a lawyer and tech professional. Director at CoinDCX. We discuss Web 3.0 and the opportunities.  Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast episode, we have with us Kimberly Singh CFO and Chief Wellness Officer (CWO) of Populis. Kim, who loves all things numbers, completed her undergraduate degree in Mathematics, which helped her land a role in Blackberry. When she moved to Sydney, the vision of Populis struck a chord with her. Populis has a very simple aim; To add wellness to people's lives.  In this digital age, where a large number of people experienced issues with their mental health and personal well being. With this in mind she wanted to do something interesting in the learning and development space.  Kim has a very interesting title in Populis working as the Chief Wellness Officer, but this makes perfect sense to Kim, since Populis revolves around bringing well-being into the life of their clients. She also feels the key to wellness and wellbeing is understanding yourself. Only introspection can help you be your best self at work professionally. Populis has a range of self assessment tools like this one here https://www.excelerateyou.com/mindset to help their clients understand themselves and improve their performance.  Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast Ralph Khoury CFO of Omnicom Media Group MENA region - discusses the evolution to the role of CFO. Ralph is a Fellow member of CPA Australia. Ralph discusses the importance of technical skills as well as the governance and corporate responsibility.  Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

Graham Chee the co-founder of Bcyber  talks about the opportunities that are available to finance professionals and the skills that they need to get to be part of it.Contrary to popular belief, 90% of all cybersecurity failure arises from human error and only 10% can be attributed to technological factors. This means that 9 out of 10 cybersecurity issues are caused by the shortfall in cybersecurity training given to employees. This is why Bcyber, an organization focused on accounting public practice space has developed training for accountants to gain working knowledge about cyberspace. By understanding how an accountant has evolved into a business partner over the years, Bcyber trains accountants to recognise the early signs of a cybersecurity breach and helps organizations build up a human firewall of defense.  Since a human firewall can adapt and learn quicker, it offers even greater security than traditional safeguards. Businesses are increasingly required to interact digitally and store data on the cloud. The accountant of an organization is a key player in preventing cybersecurity breaches since he acts as a repository of information about suppliers, financial risk etc. The accountant is trained to help with cyber risk mitigation working alongside malware protection tools to provide security.  In a world which is increasingly turning digital, the importance of a top down cyber awareness culture cannot be overemphasised. Every employee of the organization must develop a working knowledge of cybersecurity, regardless of the background and role. Contribute effectively to discussions on cybersecurity. This gives professionals  the ability to not only understand, but even to explain to other members of the board.  Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast Ralph Khoury CFO of Omnicom Media Group MENA region - discusses how the 2020 crisis has impacted the market and what steps any business should consider before progressing. Ralph states that in these turbulent times it is crucial to understand how to prioritize activities; to stabilize the company's position in the market. How to optimize already existing cash flows and budgets, and how to integrate new contingency plans into the company's current structure. In the media business employees are the most valuable asset the company has. Therefore, it is the company and consequently the team leader's responsibility to ensure that employees can perform at their best level. During the pandemics, company's should consider the following; Invite a mental health expert to guide employees to a positive mental attitude and fitness Keep lifestyle and events as close to the pre-crisis period as possible. Have uplifting events such as a Halloween party online, coffee breaks online, and dress up for the working hours!  Retain the usual behavior pattern just as before To encourage employees to maintain a healthy lifestyle Ralph also provides some great insights from a book by Nancy Koehn - 'Forged in Crisis' In this book she discusses how to tackle the crisis to come out as a winner on the other side. There are a lot of pathways on how to accomplish this depending on the company. Nevertheless, the leadership style and guidance ought to become the solid foundation for moving onward. Hence, the leader's focus should be on: Focusing on what is achievable first Talking to the team about relevant activities and strategies Looking for support from the community in legislations and regulations adjustments Leading by example on how to regulate Being honest  Last but not least, hope is the most crucial generator of ideas for unorthodox solutions. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

Is the business of business - business?  Jehan, CEO of Informate, would have to disagree.  Informate is a Business Process Outsourcing (BPO) provider which pioneers unique industry systems and innovative models for BPO’s, under the John Keells group in Sri Lanka.  Today we I to Jehan about some of the incredible work that they have done.  One project Jehan holds particularly close to his heart, is the Rural BPO Project which involves taking BPO jobs to rural areas so that the youth do not have to migrate to urban areas for work.  Utilising SAP servers, the work is distributed through the internet to eliminate the need to migrate.The advent of the internet has levelled the playing field and has helped reimagine the concept of work as we know it - essentially demolishing the barriers of time and location. Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Informate even offered training to youth on SAP and accounting skills to ensure that their work meets the standards required.  But saying that they offered simple training sessions would be a huge understatement.  The mentoring process undertaken has been so effective and empowering that the youth in these remote villages have gone on to start a completely new business model where the business is owned by the employees themselves.  This new BPO, called Ontime has even intrigued the Minister of Finance of Sri Lanka prompting a visit by him. Jehan says that the focus going forward is going to be on upskilling the youth to improve their communication and interpersonal skills so that they can take on wider roles. The concept of Impact Sourcing, which involves considering more than just cost and quality while selecting a supplier, is of paramount importance in the same context. Organizations of the 21st century should also consider the social benefits positive impacts and externalities created by the suppliers they select.  For example, companies in the UK could outsource their work to Sri Lanka, giving them a high quality service at low cost, while creating jobs and transforming lives in the rural areas of the country. He shares with us the amazing impact the project has had by narrating an experience where he would visit the rural areas where the youth he found were working on SAP.  The benefits of running such programs are only magnified by the fact that 90% of employees are women, and their senior leadership positions are predominantly held by women. Jehan concludes by saying that other countries can adopt this model to make a difference and that business leaders can positively impact their communities. He urges the listeners to consider the local impact sourcing from Sri Lanka, which incidentally, is already one of the largest pools of accounting talents in the world.   Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

My guest in this podcast is Jack Woodrup, Treasury Manager discusses about career in finance and treasury. Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

Charles Nwoko country CFO at Equinor Nigeria Energy Co. Limited a CIMA/CGMA member.It is great to hear Charles's thoughts on Sustainability. Also some tools on how Charles implemented sustainability in to the company's operations and investment decisions. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast episode, I  invited Kasun, a senior finance manager in the oil and gas industry to share with us the concept of ‘Peripheral Vision’ the need to detect market trends and weak signals beyond an organisation's line of sight. This is the follow up to his first podcast.Kasun discusses the need to have shift in our mind set & highlight how to identify these weak signals.1. Stay tuned to social media2. Build & establish  disperse network of people a to listen to the market3. Question everything that does not make sense4. Risk management teams to be made up of multidisciplinary teams5. Develop scenarios of different outcomes 6. Build a company with diverse backgrounds7. Watch for the reactions of customers to products that may not be competing with your product directly but in the fringes8. Use technology to identify both weak and strong signals9. Study cross pollination  of products Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In an ever increasingly globalized world, exposure to foreign currency risk is something that needs to be kept in a firm's radar at all times.  In this podcast, we have with us Russell Raihan, CFO of Knauf, an organisation which has operations in Europe, the USA, South America, Russia, Asia, Africa, and Australia. Operating in over 85 countries means that Knauf has a number of currency rates which need to be monitored and managed continuously.  Russell shares with us what finance professionals need to keep in mind when managing both transaction and translation risk, and suggests the optimal ways to predict the foreign currency requirements of an organization.  He also shares with us his views about the future of the accounting function and the need for accountants to move away from traditional debit and credit. When there are significant events which have a huge impact on the exchange rate, any business operating in more than one country is exposed to both transaction risk (the risk that the exchange rate may move adverse to its interests) and translation risk (the risk that adverse movements in the rate may result in negative impacts on the organisation's financial statements). It is a common fallacy to consider only the downside risk of forex. Any business which has the risk appetite necessary can engage in transactions with no hedging arrangements to take advantage of any gains that may arise from favourable movements in the exchange rate.  There are many firms which do not hedge their risk because they believe that somehow the rate is going to move favourably. They view the volatility in the currency markets as an opportunity instead of a risk, and this view is not entirely incorrect. Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Chris Towner, who heads and heads the European foreign currency risk management team at Chatham Financial, suggests a seven step approach to setting a foreign currency policy for your firm, in the FM Magazine article. The first step is to set out a strategy. He feels that the best time to do this would be in a neutral market.  The next step is to identify the overall exposure to risk. Further, quantifying the risk will help in determining the strategy. Next, the objectives need to be accessed and the responsibility for these objectives are to be assigned to someone. He feels that resting the responsibility on the CFO’s shoulders alone will not be best practice. This strategy which is created needs to be communicated to the whole organization so that they can adjust the credit and settlement terms to suit this strategy. The final step is to continuously monitor both the policy and the environment and fine tune the policy accordingly.  Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast, we have with us Asheesh Chatterjee who is the CFO and Chief Business Officer at Reliance Broadcast Limited. Making sense out of chaos is the biggest challenge facing managers today. This episode takes a quick dive into the acronyms VUCA and BANI which are used to explain the ecosystem that we live in.Chaos is the new normal. What skills and characteristics should we build to survive and thrive int this new normal? Asheesh explains it  in this podcast.CPA Australia magazine has an interesting article that focuses on Diversifying the sources of supply; which showcases that no business or industry is safe from disruption Our guest explores these concepts and also explains how it applies to an individual or a finance professional.  Can the quantitative and qualitative risk mapping tool by CIMA reduce this anxiety?  Asheesh also discusses the need to become a T shaped employee with deep knowledge and skills in a particular area of specialization, along with the ability to make connections across different disciplines. not just to survive, but to thrive in the gig economy of tomorrow.  Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

My guest in this podcast is Kairav Modi.In this episode we discuss the importance of technology in the supply chain and how it has become an enabler. Further to this we go on to talk about supply chain and its impact on sustainability. Also discussed is the topic of Digital Twins and its effect on organisations.What is a digital twin? It is a virtual supply chain replica that consists of hundreds of assets, warehouses, logistics and inventory positions. It simulates the functionalities of a  real supply chain. Kairav talks about the practical use of Digital Twins at Siemens.Rebecca McCaffry Associate Technical Director — Management Accounting, Association of International Certified Professional Accountants, has written a great article on Building Resilient Supply Chains which includes resources and tool kits that can be used to improve the agility of supply chain.Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

‘You can see the future best through peripheral vision’.  Nicholas Negroponte. In this podcast episode, I  invited Kasun, a senior finance manager in the oil and gas industry to share with us the concept of ‘Peripheral Vision’ the need to detect market trends and weak signals beyond an organisation's line of sight.  By taking a birds eye view of the macro environment we are able to see beyond our normal boundaries. The results of a survey conducted by the Fuld-Gilad-Herring Academy of Competitive Intelligence found that a whopping 97% of business executives said that their companies lacked an early warning system, this serves to highlight the need for a peripheral company vision. Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Peripheral vision also highlights the need for an improvement  in the approach to risk mitigation strategies.  By actively scanning the periphery, the organisation is able to identify early triggers and weak signals which the competition missed and act proactively to gain a first mover advantage.  However, managers must also be careful not to fall prey to confirmation bias and unconsciously filter information to support the current strategy being pursued. According to Kasun, the problem with weak signals is that it often comes across as noise and is therefore ignored to focus on better or more immediate operational needs The other issue with looking at the periphery is information overload. The massive lakes of data which are available to a manager means that selecting the relevant data and generating insight can seem like a Herculean task.  So what business decision makers of today need is a helicopter factor, or the ability to rise above the immediate situation and identify weak signals from emerging trends in the macro environment Or what some people may call seeing round the corner or giving attention to what is on the edges of our core vision By developing a helicopter (birds eye view)  factor in the boardroom, organisations can ensure that they avoid the business equivalent of tunnel vision. Mattel, Blackberry, Kodak, Nokia, Blockbuster and Yahoo are all examples of companies that fell prey to tunnel vision and lost their competitive advantage simply because they weren't focusing on the changing periphery of the competitive ecosystem that surrounded them. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

My guest in this episode is Chris Chandler, CFO (AMEA)of WebBeds and former Vice President Finance at Emirates Airlines. Chris has extensive experience in leading the implementation of many complex  finance systems.Chris highlights a very important topic " The Importance of Human Perspective" for the success of digital transformation.A survey was carried out by KPMG and a report was produced by CIMA UK on the topic of "Finance Transformation, the Human perspective". It highlights the three tips for transformation success in an uncertain world, they are;1. Think digital2. Think people 3. Think beyond short term emergency measuresInvest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In this podcast episode, I  invited Uttam Roy, Finance Director from Canada to discusses the practical aspect of currency fluctuations. Uttam mentions the key skill sets that he looks for in a team member, i.e. soft skills. Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net

In today's podcasts my guest is Yathish Kumar , who talks about the subject of Robotic Process Automation (RPA) in action at HP. Yathish gives real life examples and the application of RPA to improve efficiency.Invest in your self and explore new learnings, click here and register your details to find out how Ultimate Access can be your learning partner. We will be able to up-skill you in tools like RPA, MS Power BI and Data Analytics . Please use my social links below if you would like to know more about Web 3.0 projects or would like to connect with me.LinkedInanju@ultimateaccess.net