Latest / Chartered Accountants Global Update / Episode 15: Financial abuse, pilates in Cayman and the accountant with a million followers

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Episode 15: Financial abuse, pilates in Cayman and the accountant with a million followers · Chartered Accountants Global Update

• 0:01
  SPEAKER_00: Hello, I'm Antja Dirks from Chartered Accountants Worldwide.
• 0:05
  SPEAKER_00: This podcast has been researched and drafted with the support of AI.
• 0:09
  SPEAKER_00: It's then reviewed, shaped, and signed off by our human editorial team.
• 0:15
  SPEAKER_00: Even though we use AI to create this podcast, every story you hear is real.
• 0:20
  SPEAKER_00: Every person we profile is a real person doing remarkable things.
• 0:25
  SPEAKER_00: Every statistic is checked, every event is verified, every episode is approved by us, the human editors, who care deeply about this profession.
• 0:36
  SPEAKER_00: Technology we use with purpose, oversight, and professional judgment exactly how it should be used.
• 0:45
  SPEAKER_00: So, without further ado, I'm going to hand you over to Olivia.
• 0:50
  SPEAKER_01: Hello and welcome to Chartered Accountants Global Update, the audio newsletter from Chartered Accountants Worldwide.
• 0:57
  SPEAKER_01: This is episode 15, and it's great to have you with us.
• 1:01
  SPEAKER_01: In this episode, we look at a new resource from CAANZ that helps accountants recognize and respond to financial abuse.
• 1:10
  SPEAKER_01: We head to the Cayman Islands for a women in CAW evening that mixes Pilates with networking.
• 1:17
  SPEAKER_01: And we preview a conversation with Ramis Ansari, the chartered accountant with close to a million followers.
• 1:23
  SPEAKER_01: Let's get started.
• 1:35
  SPEAKER_01: Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand has launched a financial abuse playbook.
• 1:40
  SPEAKER_01: It's a practical resource designed to help professional accountants identify, prevent, and respond to financial abuse with confidence.
• 1:48
  SPEAKER_01: Financial abuse isn't always obvious.
• 1:51
  SPEAKER_01: It can take the form of coercive control within a relationship.
• 1:55
  SPEAKER_01: It can be elder abuse.
• 1:57
  SPEAKER_01: Or it can be the misuse of financial authority, where someone trusted to manage another person's money uses that power for their own benefit.
• 2:05
  SPEAKER_01: And this is where chartered accountants have a particular vantage point.
• 2:09
  SPEAKER_01: We see the transactions, we see the records, we often see how financial decisions are being made, and who is really making them.
• 2:18
  SPEAKER_01: That puts us in a position to spot risks that others might miss.
• 2:22
  SPEAKER_01: Of course, recognizing a warning sign is one thing, but knowing what to do next is another.
• 2:27
  SPEAKER_01: That's where the playbook comes in.
• 2:29
  SPEAKER_01: It offers guidance on the indicators of financial abuse, response strategies and escalation pathways, and advice on applying the code of ethics when situations get complicated.
• 2:40
  SPEAKER_01: There are practical tools too.
• 2:42
  SPEAKER_01: Checklists, suggested engagement letter paragraphs, and resources to help firms protect vulnerable clients and strengthen their safeguards.
• 2:50
  SPEAKER_01: It's a valuable reminder that our role goes well beyond the numbers.
• 2:55
  SPEAKER_01: Sometimes the most important thing an accountant can do is notice that something isn't right and know how to act on it.
• 3:02
  SPEAKER_01: The playbook is available on the CAANZ website, and you'll find a link in the show notes.
• 3:08
  SPEAKER_01: Next, something a little different for members in the Cayman Islands.
• 3:12
  SPEAKER_01: CAW Network USA and the CAW KMAN chapter are hosting a women in CAW Pilates and Social event on Wednesday, the 25th of November.
• 3:23
  SPEAKER_01: It takes place on the rooftop of the EY building at 62 Forum Lane, overlooking the harbour at Kamana Bay.
• 3:30
  SPEAKER_01: Registration opens at 5.15 pm, and a 45-minute Pilates session, led by Colleen Brummer of Energy, gets underway at 5.30.
• 3:40
  SPEAKER_01: After that, there'll be drinks and time to connect.
• 3:44
  SPEAKER_01: The evening is open to all women in the CAW Network USA community.
• 3:49
  SPEAKER_01: Members, associates, and guests.
• 3:51
  SPEAKER_01: Dress is casual, so just bring a yoga mat and a water bottle.
• 3:55
  SPEAKER_01: Members in good standing with the event sponsors, ICAS, SAICA, and Chartered Accountants Island can attend for free.
• 4:05
  SPEAKER_01: Members of ICAEW and CAANZ, along with members of other CAW institutes and guests, can join for$50.
• 4:15
  SPEAKER_01: Strong networks are built on relationships, and those relationships are often built away from the office.
• 4:20
  SPEAKER_01: So if you're in Cayman, this is a chance to look after your well-being and meet your peers at the same time.
• 4:26
  SPEAKER_01: Tickets are available through the CAW Network USA website.
• 4:31
  SPEAKER_01: Our next story is about a chartered accountant who has taken a very different path.
• 4:36
  SPEAKER_01: Ramis Ansari is a CAANZ member based in Sydney.
• 4:41
  SPEAKER_01: He studied at Macquarie University and started his career in business advisory.
• 4:46
  SPEAKER_01: Then his employer sent him to a business conference, where a keynote about TikTok caught his attention.
• 4:52
  SPEAKER_01: Six years on, Ramis has close to a million followers across his platforms, mainly serving the South Asian diaspora in Australia, the US, the UK, and Canada.
• 5:03
  SPEAKER_01: He became a full-time content creator in 2024.
• 5:07
  SPEAKER_01: He has also founded A Lag by Ansari, a traditional South Asian clothing label for young people living abroad, and he runs an events and MC business.
• 5:16
  SPEAKER_01: What makes his story so relevant to our profession is how much of his accounting training he still uses.
• 5:22
  SPEAKER_01: He reviews his own contracts.
• 5:24
  SPEAKER_01: He pitches brands directly.
• 5:26
  SPEAKER_01: And he approaches those brands the way an accountant reads a set of financial statements.
• 5:31
  SPEAKER_01: Find the problem, then propose a solution.
• 5:35
  SPEAKER_01: As he puts it, I have never taken a brand deal that comes with a script already written.
• 5:40
  SPEAKER_01: He also makes a sharp point about why so many creators give up.
• 5:44
  SPEAKER_01: It's rarely a lack of ideas, it's that they never learn to run a business.
• 5:49
  SPEAKER_01: And that's exactly the kind of skill chartered accountants bring to whatever they do.
• 5:54
  SPEAKER_01: You can hear Ramis in conversation with Chinee Donovan in the next Difference Makers Discuss session on Thursday, the 29th of October at 6 p.m.
• 6:02
  SPEAKER_01: Greenwich Mean Time.
• 6:04
  SPEAKER_01: They'll talk about finding a real niche where AI helps in content creation and where things get less clear, what he would do with a chartered accountancy brand on social media, and how to handle creative block.
• 6:18
  SPEAKER_01: It's a free 30-minute online session, and you can register on the Chartered Accountants Worldwide website.
• 6:24
  SPEAKER_01: Before we go, a quick look further ahead.
• 6:27
  SPEAKER_01: On Thursday, the 12th of November, Difference Makers discuss returns with Dorika Chander, a member of the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants, and a One Young World Ambassador.
• 6:37
  SPEAKER_01: Dorica founded Young Dream Radiators, a foundation that mentors young people in Zambia facing school dropout, bullying, and discrimination.
• 6:46
  SPEAKER_01: It's an inspiring story of what one chartered accountant can start.
• 6:51
  SPEAKER_01: That session is also free at 6 pm Greenwich Mean Time, and registration is open now.
• 6:57
  SPEAKER_01: That's all for this episode of Chartered Accountants Global Update.
• 7:01
  SPEAKER_01: Thank you for listening.
• 7:02
  SPEAKER_01: If you enjoyed it, subscribe on Apple Podcasts, Spotify, Amazon Music, or wherever you get your podcasts.
• 7:09
  SPEAKER_01: And to keep up with news and events from our global community of more than two million chartered accountants, visit chartered accountantsworldwide.com and sign up to our newsletter.
• 7:20
  SPEAKER_01: Until next time, take care.