04 Nov 2024

Three Days in Vienna: Our 2024 World Conference

The LEA Global World Conference took place October 21 – 25, 2024, in Vienna, Austria, bringing together more than 100 attendees worldwide. Set in the city of music and surrounded by architectural masterpieces, we delivered an event that highlighted:

Member successes, collaboration, and lived experiences
Key advancements in the profession
The value of strategic alliances

This conference was the finale of the "Reimagine Now" theme – concluding a year of conversations about how our profession is changing, cascading impacts, future predictions, and solutions and opportunities to embrace and benefit from the inevitable changes.

Our 2024 discussions have helped forge our 2025 conference theme - “Collaborate to Create: The Power of Strategic Alliances.” Not only are strategic relationships key for association and member success, but we believe they will help our members find innovations, expand their offerings, and progress at a faster rate – without resource constraints.

More on this to come; let’s return to the World Conference!

Day 1

Day 1 began with a welcome from Tony Szczepaniak, CEO of LEA Global, and a keynote from Annick De Swaef (Yocoto BV) on Elevating Business Success through Strategic Alliances. Annick presented members with tangible steps and case studies on forming and executing alliances to enhance business growth. While the International Tax Group shifted into private discussions, Karen Ward (The Aditi Collection) expanded on Annick’s session, giving delegates a toolkit for enhancing their existing strategic alliances and future-proofing new alliances.

The afternoon featured panel sessions on Changing Labor Markets & Offshoring Strategies featuring members Suhel Goel (SandMartin Group of Companies), David Cox (ProYou Advisory), and Andrew Subramaniam (HW Fisher). This group highlighted AI’s impact on the finance and accounting world as well as current and future trends related to offshoring.

Alexander Reichl (PSP), Hein Vandelanotte (Vandelanotte), and Carla Ribeiro da Silva (Miñana Beltran Tax & Legal) followed with a session about Insights on Talent Attraction & Retention. This panel shared experiences and inspiration for members on several talent themes: career paths, benefits, learning & development, corporate culture, and more.

We concluded Day 1 with a presentation on LEA Global’s 2030 Strategic Roadmap. Guided by Sara DeMann (LEA Global), members of the board talked about the progress made toward our strategic goals, the priorities we will pursue over the next five years, and the associated success metrics.

Day 2

Day 2 had a tech focus - beginning with how artificial intelligence (AI) is shaping the professional services landscape. Moderated by Tony with perspectives from Vilmos Wessely (Audit Network Hungary), Peter Scavuzzo (Marcum Technology), and Hein Vandelanotte (Vandelanotte), this panel explored how members are integrating AI into their practices, the challenges, and more.

We also heard from John Spourdoulas on how technology – artificial intelligence and machine learning, process automation, BI and analytics, and cloud computing - has created growth opportunities for Metis Hallas; David Cox and Troy Reason shared ProYou’s growth philosophy, how it's central to the company’s DNA and permeates throughout their business.

Ian Ladkin (Page Executive) gave the Day 2 keynote address on The Evolving ESG Market and its Effects, Opportunities, and Risks. He highlighted the numerous issues present in the ESG landscape that stem from disparate reporting agencies. James Parks led a session on how Bennett Thrasher has integrated AI into its services and internal processes. John Spourdoulas took the stage again to build on the power of AI and key factors to consider when deciding to incorporate it into a project.

Gala Dinner

The fun of Day 2 continued well into the evening. Members traveled to Palais Ferstel for an elegant evening of live music, fine dining, and a professional performance of the Viennese Waltz. The Palais made for an awe-inspiring environment for members to converse and bond while taking in the building’s beautiful and intricate architecture. It’s always a pleasure to deliver culture-rich, one-of-a-kind experiences for our members.

Thank you to Hübner & Hübner for co-hosting this event!

World Conference Photos

Members gather at the welcome reception Session on 2030 Strategic Roadmap Panel discussion on AI Members pose for a group photo Palais Ferstel Dancers perform the Viennese Waltz Mark Lomme wins the conference prize courtesy of Datasnipper

Let us know if you have any photos to share!

Day 3

On our final day, Rob Brown (Accounting Talent Podcast) held a multi-faceted keynote address on Leveraging Your Personal and LEA Brand. Through interviews and audience participation, Rob dove into actionable strategies for creating a personal brand, why it matters, and developing a roadmap to becoming an influential figure in the accounting industry.

Don’t forget to register for Rob’s follow-up workshop in December!

In Conclusion...

By our measure, the World Conference successfully initiated member connections and delivered thought-provoking sessions. Our sincere thanks to everyone who helped make it happen – our team members and event team, the Global Board, members, and external speakers.

Your time, knowledge, and willingness to engage with the global community do not go unnoticed. Thank you!