A proven leader and communicator who delivers on local and international strategy, and delights in coaching individuals and organisations to achieve high performance.
TESTIMONIALS
I am writing in appreciation of Allen Blewitt, a longtime colleague and inspiration in my career as magazine editor and, now, as manager of a conference business. I first met Allen during my stint as editor-in-chief of CFO Asia and CFO China magazines when he was visiting Hong Kong on a drive to publicize the ACCA's efforts in China and to announce his own new ACCA leadership role. In my conversations with Allen, I was impressed by his knowledge of finance and accounting and his verve for improving the profession. Allen brought an unusual sense of relevance, excitement and fun to a profession that - for all its impact and importance - is too often thought of as mundane. It was under his watch that the ACCA was a gold sponsor to the World Congress of Accountants at Hong Kong when former Chinese premier Zhu Rongji enjoined the throngs in the room to "Make no false accounts!" Allen's work in China was extraordinary, in that he was instrumental in elevating the discussion over reform during the run-up to the People Republic's acceptance of international accounting standards.
I worked with Allen on a research paper jointly released by the ACCA and CFO Asia on ethics in the finance profession. The aim was to find out whether - and if so, how - finance departments were conduits of ethical practice to the firm at large. The research found both strengths and gaps in the CFO's role, and the findings provided terrific ammunition for a debate, which Allen arranged in Singapore as a panel session - one of the most exciting I've ever been involved with. It garnered substantial press coverage in Singapore the following day.
Allen has spoken often at CFO conferences, both in Asia and in Europe. Stepping out of his ACCA role, he delivered an inspirational talk to European CFOs on how financial professionals need to hone their communications and media management skills if they want to progress personally and broaden the purview of the profession in general. Allen also spoke to our Chinese readers in Shanghai, addressing how the impact of change in accounting needed to be understood in the larger political and cultural milieu of China. Our editorial staff agreed that Allen was a top speaker - gifted with a broad intellectual range and oratorical skill garnished with wit. We always sought him out.
On a personal note, I've always found Allen to be the 'go to' person on complex issues that bridge finance, economics, politics and business, an invaluable source when writing story that engages financial topics as part of the real world.
Tom Leander
Editorial Director
EuroFinance
26 Red Lion Square, London