Larking Gowen membership association PrimeGlobal honoured to win in record-breaking 3 categories at Digital Accountancy Forum Awards

Larking Gowen are pleased to share the recent announcement from our membership association PrimeGlobal. Well done to the team for winning three awards in this year’s Digital Accountancy Forum Awards 2021. Read on to find out more.

“PrimeGlobal is proud to announce that we have won the Sustainability Initiative of the Year, the Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year, and the Communications Campaign of the Year awards at the Digital Accountancy Forum Awards 2021.

It has been an exceptional 12 months for PrimeGlobal. In addition to providing members with innovative tools, an extensive program of events, and comprehensive member support, 2021 has seen the launch of PrimeGlobal's Strategy 2025, alongside a continued forward-thinking approach that has focused on two initiatives around sustainability and diversity, equity and inclusion. These awards therefore recognize, not only the hard work of PrimeGlobal and our member firms in these areas, but also our dedication to improving the future of the accounting and advisory profession.

"It is unprecedented, in one year, to win three highly sought-after international awards,” stated Stephen Heathcote, PrimeGlobal CEO. “These awards recognize our members for leadership in reducing the impact of climate change, creating diverse/inclusive opportunities and shaping our strategic vision. I am so proud of our members who stand ready to ensure their clients are fit for the future."

Communications Campaign of the Year

PrimeGlobal launched its Strategy 2025 – Building Our Future Together in June 2021. The Strategy was developed through the biggest communications campaign and stakeholder consultation process we have ever conducted with our member firms and a range of external stakeholders.

One of the most important building blocks of the Strategy was the internal communications and outreach campaign around it, carefully crafted over 18 months to ensure our Strategy is based on members’ needs and changing industry trends. The communications campaign, consisting of an outreach, promotion and consultation with over 90% of PrimeGlobal member firms and stakeholders, is what makes our Strategy unique.

As a result of this campaign, a clear ambition of PrimeGlobal was identified - to ensure that member firms, and professionals within them, communicate, connect and collaborate so that they thrive, by attracting and retaining their target clients and delivering the quality advice and services their clients need. The campaign has helped us to secure a vibrant future for member firms and the profession, by ensuring our Strategy fulfils its purpose, realizes its vision and mission, and remains true to its values.

More information about our work behind achieving this award is in the Strategy 2025 section of our website.

Diversity & Inclusion Initiative of the Year

PrimeGlobal firmly believes having a strong record of diversity, equity and inclusion (DEI) is critical to attract and retain top talent. Diverse and inclusive teams, along with an equitable culture, create a dynamic work environment that inspires creativity and innovation. This award reinforces our commitment to advancing diversity, equity and inclusion initiatives, and best practices throughout PrimeGlobal and our member firms, and cements the success of our work in this area.

In 2021, we were proud to launch our 'Talent-Diversity Equity and Inclusion' (DEI) initiative, which was identified based on feedback received from our member firms and anticipating need. Our members desire a more inclusive workplace that provides the same opportunities for the entire team, no matter their ethnicity, skin color, gender, or religion, and they seek education, thought leadership, expertise, and networking to help them achieve this.

A committee of PrimeGlobal staff and member firm volunteers was therefore established with the goal being to infuse DEI conversations and insights into the fabric of PrimeGlobal's and our member firms’ strategies, and we successfully launched a series of events, initiatives and resources to support our work in this area, including the launch of our joint report, Pandemic Nation, with Thomson Reuters and the National Association of Black Accountants (NABA), which shows the strides made in diversity and inclusion, as well as the necessary areas for improvement concerning accountants of marginalized genders and ethnicities.

Sustainability Initiative of the Year

We are delighted to confirm this is the second year in a row that PrimeGlobal has been awarded Sustainability Initiative of the Year, emphasizing our passion for promoting Environmental Social Responsibility (ESR). We continue to achieve this by supporting local environments, promoting diversity and assisting communities through our staff, member firms and wider stakeholders.

Due to the growing concern about environmental and social issues among firms, we launched our Environmental and Social Responsibility (ESR) Insights initiative in January 2021, for which we were honored to receive this award. This initiative encourages firms to think about net zero carbon solutions and new business opportunities presented by embracing sustainability initiatives. Our ESR Insights Initiative consists of a dedicated web-based hub of resources, thought leadership, member initiatives and a series of events focused on knowledge sharing and best practices.

We recognize the importance of building a more environmentally sustainable and socially inclusive future and have integrated ESR Insights into our Strategy 2025 plan. This commitment means we “focus on initiatives which build our reputation as a community of trusted, modern and forward-looking firms, including championing environmental and social responsibility, helping our member firms with staff recruitment and retention, reputation building and emerging business opportunities.”

More information about our work behind achieving this award is in the Environmental Social Responsibility section of our website. “