This month, our main interview is with Ashish Gupta FCCA, who firmly believes in driving change through vision, purpose and transparency. As CFO of Reckitt North America, Gupta proves that if you have the support of family, and some natural acumen and curiosity, anything is possible. Indeed, in addition to being the finance chief for the US$3.5bn US, Canada and Caribbean business, he has received the Reckitt CFO award for business transformation and is a popular guest speaker. Find out more.
The US president’s latest tax reforms, as set out in his One Big Beautiful Bill Act, are prompting startups to rethink how they structure their businesses. At the heart of this potential shift lies a revamp of the Qualified Small Business Stock regime. The reforms make it easier, and more rewarding, for founders and investors to receive partial tax exemptions on capital gains, starting after just three years of holding stock in a qualifying C corporation. Read about the detail.
We also shine a spotlight this month on internal audit; read how a shift from compliance testing to risk-based auditing brought strategic impact to one microfinance institution. The role of internal audit cannot be restricted to compliance enforcement; it must involve risk anticipation, ethical stewardship and strategic advisory, all in the pursuit of financial inclusion.
The severe damage caused by cyberattacks on major corporations has put cybercrime in the spotlight for big businesses keen to avoid a similar fate. But missing from the conversation are small businesses, including small practitioners. Smaller entities are not just victims of cybercrime but increasingly form the digital surface through which attacks scale. Read about the practical actions that practitioners can take to protect their firm and their clients.
Finally, research shows that professional services firms waste 44 hours a week correcting financial discrepancies following a merger. But M&A isn’t going away; in fact, 58% of surveyed firms acquired another company in the past five years and nearly half were themselves acquired. Find out what firms can do to improve integration and return on investment.
