Over the last few years, despite working with our suppliers to improve the service delivery and stability of the systems, we have not been able to get to the point where our students can take their exams stress-free and perform to the best of their ability. We have listened to all the feedback received from our students and at the start of 2018 we undertook a tender process to look at other eAssessment and remote invigilation systems, while also taking this opportunity to review whether remote invigilation is the right choice for us. This work was extremely positive and informative,

A mentor/mentee relationship can be invaluable in providing an opportunity for you to consider and analyse the options available, get new information and identify any support that may be needed. There are some proven techniques to help both the mentor and mentee develop effective mentoring conversations. 1. Active Listening Mentors need good listening skills, but this can be easier said than done. The brain capacity to process information is four times the speed we can speak. This means the mind can easily wander off due to this spare brain capacity. Our ears never close, they are constantly taking in and

Every organisation, large or small, faces the risk of something going badly wrong and harming others and the organisation itself. Getting whistleblowing right saves time, money and resources. Larger, multi-national organisations tend to recognise the benefits of well promoted whistleblowing arrangements, but their effectiveness has, until now, been harder to prove. What is whistleblowing? Someone blows the whistle when they tell their employer, a regulator, customers, the police or the media about wrongdoing, risk or malpractice that they are aware of through their work. It can inform those who need to know about health and safety risks, potential environmental problems,

Those new to treasury profession as well as those who require an overview of the whole treasury function, are often seeking to get a high value hands-on training from more experienced peers. In June this year, we launched a revamped version of our A-Z of Corporate Treasury training course. This in-depth introduction to the corporate treasury function in international markets, in its new four-day format, featured trainers from an independent treasury and risk management consultancy, Zanders, which brought great value to the course. Zanders is delighted to be working in partnership with the ACT on delivery of The A-Z  of

The first Future Leaders in Treasury Middle East Meeting took place in Abu Dhabi on 20 June. An intimate group of treasurers listened to Matthew Hurn (ACT Chair of the Middle East Advisory Panel and CFO, Alternative Investments and Infrastructure at Mubadala) talk about his career in treasury and the skills he felt were desirable in the industry to succeed. How treasury has evolved The discussion began with Matthew giving us insights into his career in both the public and private sector and explaining how the profession has evolved over the years. Treasury was previously known as back office and

Your career is in your hands. You are responsible for developing yourself and taking advantage of the opportunities available throughout your career journey. But there are some skills and characteristics that can help you on your way, and these were the topic of discussion at the Future Leaders careers evening on 20 June. Some key themes came out when senior treasurers were asked about what they look for when they recruit. For a treasury analyst role, they look for those with a technical expertise and for someone who can juggle different projects and priorities. For a treasury manager position, you

Everyone has a mental health story. This was very clear from the frank and open discussion at the mental health and wellbeing fringe session at the recent ACT Annual Conference in Liverpool. This session was very timely as it coincided with Mental Health Awareness week in the UK and it was the latest in the ACT’s Diversity and Inclusion calendar which has already included events on Bridging the gender pay gap and Engaging LGBTQ+ Allies. It is estimated that 1 in 4 people in the UK will experience a mental health problem each year. Even if you think you will

When you think about your network who comes to mind? If you were going to do a mind-map of your network who would you include and why? And where do you place them – near you or further away? The position you put yourself in relative to any individual within your network has a direct correlation with how effectively you work with them. Following on from this, the way we interact with them will show how effective our relationship is with them. Inspirational leaders have four main traits: They are sensors for their organisations. They ‘plug in’ to what is