ISCA Calls for Nominations for Singapore Accountancy Awards 2016

Awards for the accountancy profession seeks to recognise business and individual excellence, promote good practices, and strengthen the profession’s branding

Singapore, 7 March, 2016 – From now till 20 May, nominations are open for the Singapore Accountancy Awards, organised by the national accountancy body, the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA).Supported by the Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (ACRA) and the Singapore Accountancy Commission (SAC), the Singapore Accountancy Awards are a mark of excellence for businesses and individuals while promoting good practices and strengthening the branding of the profession and industry.

Commenting on the awards, Mr Lee Fook Chiew, Chief Executive Officer of ISCA, said, “As Singapore continues its transformation into a global accountancy hub, ISCA, through the Singapore Accountancy Awards, seeks to honour outstanding organisations and individuals who represent the best in the accountancy sector, and inspire the profession to achieve greater heights. In line with the national SkillsFuture initiative, these awards also reflect ISCA’s efforts to spur the profession towards continual skills development.”

Centred on the theme of “Ovation for Excellence”, Singapore Accountancy Awards 2016 comprises two main awards, the “Business Excellence Awards” and the “Individual Excellence Awards”.

Business Excellence Awards

The Business Excellence Awards seek to honour accounting firms that stand out for their dedication to building a distinguished practice and are leaders in quality assurance and control, talent management, innovation, thought leadership, business achievements, client service, and corporate social responsibility. In an increasingly competitive marketplace, these attributes are important for firms to sustain and grow their practice.

There are three categories under the Business Excellence Awards:

1)    Open Category – open to all accounting firms

2)    Large Practice Category – open to accounting firms with up to 1,000 staff

3)    Small & Medium Practice Category – open to accounting firms with up to 100 staff

Each category consists of two awards, the Best Practice Award, and the Innovation Award. In addition, the Outstanding Growth Award in the Small & Medium Practice (SMP) Category recognises SMPs that have exhibited outstanding advancements, such as growth in the business and accounting services offered.

Individual Excellence Awards

The Individual Excellence Awards aim to commend individuals who embody strong leadership and professional qualities, possess sound technical knowledge and experience. These are also high achievers within and outside the organisation.

There are two categories under the Individual Excellence Awards:

1) Accountants in Practice Category includes

- The Outstanding Practitioner Award

- The Young Accountant in Practice Award

2)    Professional Accountants in Business Category includes

-       The Outstanding Professional Accountant Award

-       The Young Accountant in Business Award

The Outstanding Practitioner Award and the Outstanding Professional Accountant Award aim to recognise the experienced professionals, while the Young Accountant in Practice Award and the Young Accountant in Business Award acknowledges the young, aspiring achievers.

Nomination Process

The Singapore Accountancy Awards are open for nominations from now till 20 May 2016 at http://www.sgaccountancyawards.com/.

The Business Excellence Awards are open to all organisations registered in Singapore and nominators can nominate other organisations or their own firms for one or more of the awards.

The Individual Excellence Awards are open to any individual in the accounting profession who is employed in an organisation registered in Singapore. Nominators can elect individuals from other organisations, their colleagues or themselves for one of the awards.

Judging Criteria

Nominees will be judged by a distinguished panel of judges, comprising leaders and business luminaries across various sectors.

For the Business Excellence Awards category, judges will be looking at the nominee’s commitment to technical excellence, talent management, contribution to the sector and community, and overall business performance. A key criterion for the “Innovation Award” is the adoption of innovative initiatives to enhance the quality of their services, or to provide unique services that distinguish them from their competitors.

Entries for the Individual Excellence Awards will be evaluated based on the individual’s leadership qualities, knowledge and experience, as well as professional achievements. Nominees will have to demonstrate qualities such as foresight, good ethical conduct, and sound decision making to the judges. For the Young Accountant nominees, qualities such as teamwork, mentorship to junior staff, and the drive/desire to ‘go the extra mile’ will also be considered.

Winners will be announced at the Awards Dinner, held in conjunction with the Singapore Accountancy Convention in August 2016.

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For media enquiries, contact:

Betsy Tan, Communications Manager

Tel: 6597 5608 / 9641 6920 Email: betsy.tan@isca.org.sg

Shaun Tay, Communications Executive

Tel: 6597 5613/ 9147 7633 Email: shaun.tay@isca.org.sg

Note to Editors:

About the Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants

The Institute of Singapore Chartered Accountants (ISCA) is the national accountancy body of Singapore. ISCA’s vision is to be a globally recognised professional accountancy body, bringing value to our members, the profession and wider community. There are over 30,000 ISCA members making their stride in businesses across industries in Singapore and around the world.

Established in 1963, ISCA is an advocate of the interests of the profession. Possessing a Global Mindset, with Asian Insights, ISCA leverages its regional expertise, knowledge, and networks with diverse stakeholders to contribute towards Singapore’s transformation into a global accountancy hub.

ISCA is the Administrator of the Singapore QP and the Designated Entity to confer the Chartered Accountant of Singapore - CA (Singapore) - designation.

 ISCA is an Associate of Chartered Accountants Worldwide – supporting, developing and promoting over 325,000 Chartered Accountants in more than 180 countries around the world.

 For more information, visit www.isca.org.sg.