ACCA (Association of Chartered and Certified Accountants) the global body for professional accountants, hosted a Business Leaders’ Forum breakfast in Belfast about the importance of broadening company portfolios when operating in international markets.

Guest speaker at the ACCA event, Nigel Robbins, Group Commercial Director, UTV Media plc said, “With businesses large and small facing enormous challenges in the present economic climate, business owners could be forgiven for going into retreat mode. But there is much to be gained by capitalizing on core strengths and broadening portfolios; such strategies can ultimately help a company successfully navigate its way through choppy waters. At UTV Media we are doing just that by taking the Group’s hugely successful talkSPORT radio product into the global arena and across multiple platforms.”

Pictured at the ACCA Ireland Business Leaders’ Forum breakfast in Belfast are Liz Hughes, Head of ACCA Ireland and Nigel Robbins, Group Commercial Director, UTV Media plc

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Notes to Editors1. ACCA (Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.2. There are over 20,000 members and students in Ireland.3. We support our 154,000 members and 432,000 students in 170 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of over 80 offices and centres and more than 8,400 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.4. Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.