Martin Turner: Keeping accountancy in good health

The President of ACCA Global was in Mauritius recently to welcome the new 198 ACCA members of our country. Martin Turner talks to us about his career and the mission of the ACCA in Mauritius and Africa.

As far back as he remembers, Martin Turner, President of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) Global, has always been good with numbers and as a young man, was determined to work as an accountant. He thus became an ACCA student and joined the association in 1976. While he was still studying, he began a career in the health sector, in the United Kingdom. Climbing up the professional ladder, he was at one time Chief Executive in the National Health Services in the UK. “I also served as a Chief Executive of a health service in Australia”, Martin Turner says.

In 1981, after five years in the ACCA, Martin Turner becomes a Fellow, that is, a senior member of the organization. He will then have the opportunity to serve a year as Vice-President and Deputy President respectively, before being named President of ACCA Global in September 2013. Martin Turner firmly believes in the ACCA’s mission, which is to provide access to people of ability around the world. “And also support our members throughout their careers in accounting, business and finance, to achieve and promote the highest professional, ethical and governance standards to advance the public interest and to be a global leader in the profession”, he adds. In other words, according to him, opportunity, diversity, innovation, accountability and integrity are the keywords of the ACCA.

During his year as President, Martin Turner says he has focused “on the promotion of an ethical profession and helped to build and maintain the trust which businesses and the wider society have in our profession and in the ACCA in particular.” The President of ACCA Global also worked to promote the international organization as the provider of the complete finance professional. “I urge you to use every opportunity to ensure employers in all sectors are aware of the contribution which ACCA professional accountants can bring through their comprehensive skills and knowledge in areas of strategy, risk and assurance, financial reporting and management accounting”, is the message he addresses to existing and new members of the ACCA.

Furthermore, Martin Turner explains that there is another area in which the ACCA has a great deal to say: it is in corporate reporting, covering issues such as governance, ethics and sustainability, non-financial reporting and audit. “I have striven to build upon the good work the ACCA does when it comes to global standards”, he adds.

What about ACCA Mauritius, that caters for more than 2,600 members to date (that is, 90 % of the total number of professional accountants in the country)? On that subject, Martin Turner lays emphasis on the fact that the ACCA has been working to support the development of the Mauritian economy and aims to carry on contributing to the growth of the accountancy profession and the country. This implies “equipping our members and trainees to operate at international standards, to enhance their contribution to the economic and social development of the island.”

For Martin Turner, the ACCA is committed to strengthening collaboration with major stakeholders, including government, policy makers, employers, education providers and Professional Accountancy Organizations (PAOs) in order to address challenges faced by the profession. In addition, given the acute shortage of professional accountants in many African countries, he thinks that “Mauritian accounting professionals can explore exciting career opportunities on the continent and contribute to closer regional cooperation, thus consolidating the position of the island as a hub for financial services.”

According to the President of ACCA Global, the financial sector in Mauritius is very strong and increasingly influential, “because the island is growing in importance as an investment gateway between the Indian sub-continent and Africa.” Regarding that sector which, he says, is crucial for the future of the Mauritian economy, Martin Turner feels “immensely proud of the contribution the ACCA is able to make by ensuring the qualification meets the needs of employers and is highly regarded around the world.” For him, the contribution of the organization to the growth of the African economy is undeniable. “ACCA has been present in Africa for many years now. The continent shows tremendous opportunities for development in many fields and several countries of the sub-Saharan region are witnessing major investments and increase in Gross Domestic Product. In this context, there is more need for financial and accountancy services in order to deliver, advise and standardize best practices.”

Martin Turner explains that the ACCA is a partner of choice for any corporation or government for providing such services, as the organization has a proven and globally acclaimed standard and curriculum for the training of Certified Chartered Accountants. “Thanks to the expertise of our ACCA accountants and to the participation of ACCA offices in helping governments throughout Africa, we remain a partner of choice for this continent.” 

Married with four grown-up children and four grandchildren, Martin Turner is very grateful for the great career he has enjoyed as a finance professional. Being the President of ACCA Global, he confides, “gives you an opportunity to see the profession and the impact it has around the world”. He also has the chance to hear what accountants see as the opportunities and challenges facing them and according to him, “the ACCA can ensure that it remains fit for purpose and meets the needs of businesses around the world.”

Finally, as the President of ACCA Global, Martin Turner has been pleased to see “the fantastic reputation the ACCA has globally and that it is held in such high regard.”