Allen Blewitt was global Chief Executive of ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) from December 2003 until September 2008, based in London. He is now a Sydney based independent consultant advising companies, professional associations and not for profit organisations on strategic communications, government relations, international business strategy and organisational leadership. He is a highly regarded facilitator of senior retreats and strategic planning workshops and undertakes a limited number of mentoring roles to assist newly appointed senior executives.
In his role as CEO, Allen focussed on developing ACCA's global network which involved managing complex commercial, government, stakeholder and media relationships in markets as diverse as China, Vietnam, Singapore, Dubai and the emerging economies of central and eastern Europe, particularly Poland, Romania, Russia and Ukraine, plus core markets in the UK. He has lead teams through crisis management issues in many of these locations. He is a highly respected media spokesperson on key issues facing the global business community and has comprehensive experience with press, radio and television commentary in multiple markets and cultures.
Allen joined ACCA directly from the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia (ICAA) where, over eighteen years, he held a variety of senior roles, including Deputy Chief Executive, Director of Education and Professional Development, and Director of Operations. Prior to that post he lectured at Sydney University and the Australian Catholic University in curriculum planning and evaluation. He has hands-on experience of major organisational restructuring processes, including attempted mergers of professional associations and the introduction of new qualifications. More recently he undertook a limited term contract with the University Co-op Bookshop to develop a transformation plan to cope with emerging digital books and readers. His client list includes Cambridge University ESOL division, the Institute of Internal Auditors, the Chartered Institute of Purchasing and Supply, the Royal Institute of Chartered Surveyors (UK), ASIC, the Australian securities regulator (for training on business ethics), a major Australian medical charity, the Wentwest Division of General Practice and several major education organisations.
Allen has spoken often at CFO conferences, both in Asia and in Europe. Stepping out of his ACCA role, he delivered an inspirational talk to European CFOs on how financial professionals need ... keep reading EuroFinance
I am writing to thank you for a marvellous keynote address at the Associations Forum National Conference held in Sydney on 27 August 2008. We received excellent feedback from delegates and it was a fantastic way for our two-day conference to commence. As you know, the purpose of Associations Forum is to bring associations together to boost performance. Our National Conference is the flagship event in our educational calendar and having an inspiring talk like yours to open proceedings was a great way to motivate the attendees. Attendees particularly liked you giving examples of how your association has improved lives around the globe. By then linking these to practical situations in the Australian environment, you gave people valuable advice they could take home and apply to their organisations. It was great to see you back in Australia and thanks again for your excellent talk.
