Business & Finance Club - Manama : The Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW), a leader in the field of accountancy and finance, has announced the launch of its Middle East network of corporate finance faculty.

The ICAEW network will offer professionals working in corporate finance across the region access to the latest technical information, networking opportunities and a platform for exchanging experiences with peers both in the Middle East and across the world.

It was launched at a recent event in Bahrain in the presence of  a number of professionals from the world of accountancy, corporate finance, corporate banking, investment banking, private equity and corporate law across the region.

The event also incorporated a round-table debate on the challenges facing the banking sector in the Middle East post-crisis, chaired by banking sector expert Khalil Nooruddin, with panelists Patrick Gallagher of HSBC, Lloyd Williams of Gulf Finance House, Niels Lorijn of Oasis Capital Bank and Robert Ainey of the Bahrain Association of Banks.

Robert Hodgkinson FCA, ICAEW executive director, gave the closing address.

Amanda Line ACA, regional director, ICAEW Middle East, said: “Highly qualified professionals with thorough knowledge of financing and restructuring of businesses will play a key role in the continued growth of the Middle Eastern economies”.

'he ICAEW is keen to create platforms for finance professionals to exchange expertise and learn from peers. The ME launch of the ICAEW Corporate Finance Faculty is one of many initiatives ICAEW is engaged in across the region,” she noted.

The network’s activity will be championed by two highly experienced corporate financiers; Peter Petyt ACA, partner of BDO Bahrain, and Chris Ward ACA, chief executive of Deloitte Corporate Finance in Dubai and a former Faculty chairman.

“Staying on top on any developments is important to do a good job in any industry and profession but for corporate financiers it is absolutely critical. Having access to a forum where experiences and knowledge can be shared and discussed with peers is of enormous benefit to any professional,” remarked Petyt.

“The ICAEW Corporate Finance Faulty provides a ‘meeting place’ for people in all types of corporate finance roles across the region, providing networking opportunities as well as access to the latest in technical information, providing an opportunity to continue their professional development throughout their career,” he added.