Each Special Interest Group meets regularly and produces regular newsletters with key technical updates for the membership. The Groups are comprised of members from around the globe who share best practice information and updates from their region.
Find out more about our Special Interest Groups below.
Accounting Services Group
Technology is rapidly transforming our profession, with clients increasingly seeking real-time support. The opportunities presented by emerging technologies are vast, from developing new service lines to exploring new income streams. With over 800 apps currently available on XERO AppStore to support core accounting functions, the potential for innovation is endless. The Accounting Services Special Interest Group is dedicated to collectively understanding and harnessing these opportunities, working closely with providers to stay at the forefront of our industry.
In line with this, the Group holds quarterly meetings with members from across the globe where they share best practices in a variety of areas, including outsourcing. Currently, they are establishing a roadmap for this year’s knowledge-sharing sessions, from which their insights will be shared in regular newsletters, enabling all members within DFK International to benefit from the discussions.
Through this initiative, the Group's goal is to increase collaboration and networking opportunities within DFK’s global community.
For more infomation, please contact Stuart Grosvenor, Special Interest Group Chair.
Assurance Group
The Assurance Special Interest Group helps member firms by providing advice and information on assurance matters worldwide. It is responsible for the development, maintenance and monitoring of the DFK quality programme.
The quality control programme is based on international standards issued by the International Federation of Accountants (IFAC) which is committed to protecting the public interest by developing high-quality international standards, promoting strong ethical values, encouraging quality practice, and supporting the development of all sectors of the profession around the world.
Our objectives are to ensure that all of our member firms perform quality services of the highest professional standards. Although all of our members are independent accounting firms, they are required to fully comply with the international quality standards from IFAC.
The members of the Special Interest Group are all partner, director or other management level professionals within their firm, with highly advanced technical knowledge of (International) accounting and audit standards and principles, theory and concept.
For more information, please contact Radlee Moller, Special Interest Group Chair.
Information Technology Group
The DFK Information Technology Special Interest Group was formed to share with all member firms best practices in using information technology for small to medium-sized accounting firms.
The Group meets bimonthly to discuss lateste IT best practices and how best to share these with the DFK member firms.
Projects undertaken include regular surveys of member firms' IT arrangements to enable the Special Interest Group to understand and tailor their work to the needs of the members.
A newsletter is also regularly circulated featuring articles written by our Group members.
For more information, please contact Robin Davis, Special Interest Group Chair.
Marketing Committee
The DFK International Marketing Committee's (IMC) mission is to help brand the name of DFK worldwide, and to identify and share best practices in marketing and business development with all DFK members.
The members of the IMC, who collectively represent all DFK regions, meet bimonthly and publish a segment in the DFK International quarterly newsletter. These newsletter articles update DFK members as to what the IMC is currently doing, and what the committee has accomplished each quarter.
The bottom line of the IMC is to help all members of DFK generate new business, especially business that is conducted across national boundaries.
For more information on the committee, please contact Catarina Zagalo, Committee Chair.
Tax Group
The Tax Special Interest Group helps member firms by providing advice and information on tax matters worldwide. It is responsible for the development, maintenance and monitoring of the DFK quality programme.
Some of the resources available to DFK International member firms and their clients include:
- Seasoned international tax advisors located throughout the Americas, Asia -Pacific and Europe who can deliver timely tax advice.
- International tax "products" which foster consulting on such topics as:
- Transfer pricing reviews
- Holding company structure locations
- VAT
- Financing structures
- Repatriation of profits
- A regular international tax newsletter to keep updated on legislation changes and the latest tax planning issues and solutions.
- International tax seminars dealing with current international tax issues.
The ITC is ready and able to assist member firms dealing with cross-border transactions.
For more information, please contact Janneke Speetjens, Special Interest Group Chair.
Valuation Services Group
The purpose of DFK’s Valuation Services Special Interest Group is to enhance the knowledge and quality of valuation services of member firms by raising awareness of new valuation issues and sharing knowledge and best practices.
Members of the Group will accomplish this by identifying and developing certain industries, business types and valuation issues in which they have deep valuation capability and build on that through raising awareness and sharing knowledge across DFK firms.
The sharing of ideas, knowledge and best practices will be done through discussion in virtual quarterly meetings, in-person training at future international conferences and the use of guest speakers. The Special Interest Group will also selectively make contributions to regulators and policymakers of oversight organisations.
In addition, the Group will become a forum for making referrals to DFK member firms based on expertise and geographical area.
For more information, please contact Ron Martindale, Special Interest Group Chair.
Women in Leadership Group
DFK International Women in Leadership (IWIL) Special Interest Group formed on International Women’s Day 2018.
The Group is comprised of 20 women from 13 countries. Members meet every few months to plan upcoming projects, to discuss how to make the association more inclusive and the ways in which it can support females in their career progression.
Completed Projects
The DFK IWIL Special Interest Group has launched the DFK IWIL Mentoring Programme.
The Group encourages female inclusion and progression within DFK International and a key element of this is members providing their expertise and knowledge to support the development of another colleague.
The DFK IWIL mentoring programme fosters relationships through one-to-one confidential conversations. The mentee is encouraged and challenged to achieve their potential and aspirations. They also have to opportunity to discuss challenges facing women in the workplace and how to navigate them.
For more information, please contact Michaela Lamb, Special Interest Group Chair.
Cheree Woolcock
Cheree Woolcock is the chief executive officer of DFK Benjamin King Money in Melbourne, Australia, having joined the firm in 1987.
As VP Asia Pacific of DFK International, Cheree is responsible for representing the Asia Pacific region of DFK at the executive board level and also leading the Asia Pacific Executive Committee. Cheree also leads the DFK Accounting Services Committee. Before being elected to her current role, Cheree was a director on the DFK International Advisory Board, a past Chairperson of DFK Australia New Zealand and a Board Member of Plenty Community Credit Union. She is a founding member of the DFK International Women in Leadership Committee. Cheree holds a Bachelor of Business (Accounting) from RMIT University.
