INVITATION
 
The Future of Audit
 
16 November
from 12:00pm to 14:45pm
Espace Banca Montepaschi, Avenue d’Auderghem 22-28,  1040 Brussels

The idea of audit as a single, universal service that is the same for all types of entity anywhere in the world is under unprecedented strain. The complexity and global interconnectedness of today's business environment have resulted in growing demand for assurance that information is disclosed fairly and accurately. But one pace of development may not suit all. The accountancy profession must adapt by understanding who the users are, what information they need from an audit and how they will use it.
 
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) and Grant Thornton jointly hosted a series of roundtables in China, Brussels, Singapore, South Africa, the UAE, the UK and Ukraine, which offered valuable insights into the issues the audit profession is currently facing and how it may have to evolve to remain relevant. The future of audit discussions also recognised the importance of the digital age. The findings of these roundtables are featured in a recent report called the Future of Audit.
 
ACCA and Grant Thornton are now happy to invite you to a conference, organised under the patronage of the Slovak Presidency of the Council of the EU, to discuss the findings of the report, and follow up on the impact of the recent legislative changes, namely resulting from the implementation of the EU audit reform by EU member states.
 
Please reply by 2 November to Cécile Bonino, Head of EU Affairs at ACCA cecile.bonino@accaglobal.com

Draft agenda
 
12:00pm registration and sandwich lunch
 
12:30pm Welcome speech Maggie McGhee, Director Professional Insights, ACCA  
 
12:40pm Presentation of  the Future of Audit report –Nick Jeffrey, Director - public policy, Grant Thornton International Ltd
 
12:50pm Key note speech Arnold Schilder, Chairman of the International Auditing and Assurance Standards Board (IAASB) 
 
13:00pm Panel debate, moderated by Andrew Gambier, Head of Audit & Assurance, ACCA

• Alain Deckers, Head of Audit and Credit Agencies unit, DG FISMA, European Commission
• Sue Almond, Head of Assurance, Grant Thornton International Ltd
• Hans-Jürgen Säglitz , Head of Financial Reporting, German Insurance Association (GDV)
• Lé Quang Tran Van, Director in charge of financial affairs and audit at AFEP/ EuropeanIssuers
• Fabrizio Tocchini, Country Director Tagetik Belgium and Tagetik Luxembourg

14:20pm Q&As
 
14:40 Concluding remarks Sue Almond, Head of Assurance, Grant Thornton International Ltd