Senior finance professionals from across the East of England have come together to discuss corporate governance and changes to annual reports at a series of Finance Director (FD) Breakfast Clubs organised by professional recruitment consultants Pure and accountancy firm Grant Thornton.

Six breakfast sessions were held in Chelmsford, Cambridge, Norwich, Peterborough, Ipswich and Hertfordshire during the first three weeks of March, attended by over 180 finance professionals. These regular, interactive events are designed to provide forums for finance leaders to come together and discuss topical issues likely to impact on businesses and the local economy.

The key themes of the latest events were Corporate Governance, transparent reporting and changes to the annual report. Tom Earl, Associate Director at Pure, and the experts at Grant Thornton, were joined by local law firms which provided updates on the legal aspect of governance and developments in Directors’ responsibilities.

Tom Earl, Associate Director at Pure, said: “Ultimately the aim was to explore just what makes a good annual report, as well as ensuring it meets all the latest legal requirements. We looked at how the governance landscape has changed, examples of best practice and new legislation. The overriding outcome is that we know there will be changes to the way we report, and what our annual statements look like. However, we must look at this as a window of opportunity to give a far more holistic view of what is happening within our organisations. Annual reports are an opportunity to include non-financial reporting and to showcase the overall culture of an organisation. This can give businesses a real competitive edge by providing shareholders, potential recruits and other stakeholders with a meaningful view of the organisation as a whole, as well as its financial performance.”

The FD Breakfast Clubs were first launched in 2014 by Pure and Grant Thornton to help support the local business community and to grow the regional economy. Subjects covered at previous sessions have included the Apprenticeship Levy, Cyber Security and Data Protection, Risk and Reputation and International Growth. The FD Breakfast Clubs are open to all senior finance professionals and further events are scheduled for June. For more information, or to reserve a place, email Tom Earl at tom.earl@prs.uk.com