Thank you to AGN International for giving us an opportunity to write the following article for the Worldwide Update newsletter (Q3 2020) and introduce ourselves to fellow AGN members around the world.
At this halfway point in the tax year, we find ourselves looking forward and looking back. We started 2020/21 anticipating a significant year ahead for BKL. Our 40th anniversary; the completion of our major office refurbishment; and last but not least, being part of AGN.
As AGN’s newest member in the UK, we were confident of international collaboration and the exploration of shared goals with our fellow members. What we didn’t foresee was the immediate form this would take: a global health emergency and its economic consequences. We know that, like us, you’ve been concerned for your clients and doing everything you can to inform and guide them.
Being innovative and adaptable has become more valuable than ever. Our firmwide introduction of Microsoft Teams, planned well before the pandemic and the first UK lockdown, has meant we were ready for the rise of video meetings, such as May’s AGN UK NextGen conference where Zoom stood in for Edinburgh. (At least we all saved on train fares and travel time.)
More recently, we’ve enjoyed a gradual return to our refurbished and COVID-secure office (which we’re keen to resume when national restrictions are eased). Our meeting rooms used to be numbered; now they’re named after global cities. We hope we can show you around sometime.
In 1980 we started as a one-room office. In 2020 we’re not just bigger, we’re part of something bigger – thanks to our clients, contacts and associates like AGN. Despite the challenges ahead, we’re looking forward to being fortified in our 40s.
This article is also available on the AGN website.
Find out more about AGN and why we joined here.
