Chartered Accountants House to host International Business Integrity conference 8th -10th June
Friday, May 20, 2011
An international conference on Corporate Integrity will bring over 80 widely respected experts and academics to Dublin on 8th-10th June to address a large business audience.
Speaking in advance of the conference, renowned commentator, Prof Bob Chandler of the University of Central Florida who will address the conference has commented: “Ethical crises can disrupt business operations just as significantly as do natural disasters. It disrupts routine operations, paralyses employees and reduces productivity, destroying organisational reputations and eroding stakeholder confidence, as well as resulting in incalculable legal and financial costs.”
Next month’s conference, organised by the European Business Ethics Network Ireland (EBENI), Trinity College Dublin Business School and Chartered Accountants Ireland leads with the thought-provoking title “Does Integrity Matter?” will be the biggest event of its kind ever to be held in this country.
In the backdrop of the biggest global economic meltdown since the Great Depression, the conference questions what priority is placed on business integrity. The first half-day session is devoted entirely to the area of ethics in international financial services, looking at “Trust and Integrity in Banking”, “Regulation of Credit Rating Agencies” and international corporate governance codes. Other sessions will deal with such contentious issues as integrity in the construction, brewing and hospitality sectors, BP’s ‘Green Narrative’, the impact of misbehaving CEOs and an array of Corporate Social Responsibility related talks. Many of the integrity related discussions are planned as ‘panels’ for interaction between speakers and audience.
Chartered Accountants Ireland President, Mr John Hannaway, welcomed the prestigious conference to Dublin. “As Ireland’s oldest and leading accountancy body now numbering 20,000 professionals leading Irish business, Chartered Accountants Ireland is pleased to host the conference in our new headquarters, Chartered Accountants House. We are particularly pleased to be associated with the event as it is consistent with our key value of integrity, which is at the core of what chartered accountancy is all about”.
Julian Clarke FCA, chartered accountant and Chairman of EBEN Ireland, said: “Integrity in business is not just an ideal – it is common sense! People want to do business with people whose advice and judgement they can trust – people who they can rely on to do what they commit to doing – people of integrity.”
“Behaving with integrity develops trust. Trusted firms have a good reputation and are generally successful in the longer term by foregoing short-term and risky opportunism – which ultimately may damage the firm and its key relationships.”
“Maximising return to shareholders is often used to justify unjustifiable business practices. Had the shareholders themselves been consulted they may have preferred maintenance of the reputation and good name of the organisation at the ‘cost’ of slightly lower profits. A reputation lost or damaged is so difficult to restore.”
“Ireland needs this event at a time when, with the exception of the Presidency, so many of our difficulties can be traced to poor leadership and low integrity across our society, not just at the upper echelons of some high profile businesses. We always have to recognise that the vast majority of business people conduct their affairs with integrity and that is one of the main reasons why they are continually successful. Unfortunately, as in many walks in life, a minority taint the majority and one of the ambitions of this event is to illustrate that the majority do want to stand up and be counted”.
“They can do so by attending the event and helping restore the good name that Irish business previously had before a few senior business people and politicians lost the run of themselves. Hopefully this conference will help Ireland on the road to recovery of its national integrity.”
Delegate rates are €175 for single day, €275 for 2-day pass, €375 for 3 days, all including €75 EBEN Ireland and EBEN Annual Membership. Further details and registration for this event are at www.eben.ie
Further details via Julian Clarke on 01 492 5555 or email Julian Clarke.
Ends
Reference: Bryan Rankin, Marketing Manager, Chartered Accoutants Ireland T: (01) 637 7268 M 087 2047905
Note to Editors
EBEN is the foremost Business Ethics organisation in Europe with a pan-European and global influence. It is active in 16 European countries with a global membership in over 40 countries. (www.eben-net.org ).
Wednesday 8th June will offer an entire day of Corporate Social Responsibility related talks as well as four simultaneous sessions on a wide range of topics, some academic and research based. Academics do not usually receive sufficient feedback from ‘business people’. Visitors are also welcome to this day, though the Thursday 9th and Friday 10th schedule have been designed to be of broader interest to the business community and public.
EBEN Ireland 