Professionals say the logo will help them to stand out and build their network
Across the world, chartered accountants have already begun welcoming the newly launched CAW Network Member logo as a way to reflect the strong global community they’re part of.
The logo was created to recognise and promote the profession across the globe and is exclusively available to more than 850,000 qualified chartered accountants who are members of one of the 14 institutes which are part of Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW).
By displaying the logo in email signatures, websites, social media and stationery, individual members can show they are part of a global network of qualified professionals with shared values and a commitment to the highest standards of ethics and integrity.
Standing out
Beatrice Aurelia, a Bachelor of Commerce (Accounting) graduate, feels that the logo enables individuals with a globally recognised qualification to stand out in their specific field of expertise. “I also believe that the logo creates value by being able to relate to other CAW members through their shared experience, developing one’s network,” she says.
Beatrice has been working for Deloitte Australia as an Audit Analyst and has just started her first CA subject starting with FIN. Once she completes her studies, she intends to use the CAW logo on her LinkedIn profile, email signature, and in her resume, “ensuring that I highlight the unique value I provide as a CAW member,” she says.
Adding value
South African entrepreneur Lyle Malander says he plans to display the logo as a reminder of the value Chartered Accountants can add to his clients’ businesses worldwide. “As a leader in a professional services firm environment, I plan to display this logo in my professional communications… Being a member of a global organisation of this stature is something to be proud of and will no doubt enhance my credibility globally,” he says.
Malander is a member of the South Africa Institute of Chartered Accountants, and co-founder of the Malander Group that provides professional advisory and resourcing services to large and listed entities. “CAW promotes the prestige of Chartered Accountants globally and highlights the value that Chartered Accountants can add to businesses, organisations and individuals around the world,” he adds.
Career opportunities
Beatrice Aurelia believes showing this qualification will be important for members in their careers as it will open up better opportunities within corporations, and their skill – as demonstrated by the logo – will be reflected in their salary.
Research has shown that displaying the Chartered Accountants Worldwide Network Member logo enables business leaders and clients to perceive the profession as more relevant to helping them internationally.
Beatrice Aurelia agrees. “For clients, the brand provides value by helping them realise that not only do they have a talented individual, but also access to the global network that CAW possesses. In addition, the qualification gives them a vision of what the CAW member can potentially achieve for them as there have been many individuals in leadership positions, also holding CAW qualifications, that have made impactful positive changes in their industries, societies and many parts of the world,” she says.
Strong profession
The logo launch comes at a time of change and upheaval in the financial services sector and uncertainty in the global economy. Tax specialist and commentator Paul Aplin, the immediate past president of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), retweeted the launch announcement of the CAW Network Member logo on Twitter. In his post, he said, “strong national economies cannot exist without strong national accountancy professions and a strong global economy cannot exist without a strong global accountancy profession. Chartered Accountants Worldwide is at the heart of that aspiration.”
Writing in the ICAEW’s Moorgate Place blog, he referred to his recent travels to Sydney to attend the Council of the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) and the World Congress of Accountants: “I came away from Australia with a renewed sense of purpose and with an absolute belief that we have to think as a global community, whether as members of ICAEW or as part of the wider global profession.”
