With the recent global conference still fresh in our minds, I’m sure I don’t need to remind anyone who attended of what an incredible occasion it was.
The level of engagement of every delegate once more ensured that there was value both given and taken over two days, which we hope can encourage even more collaboration and opportunities to explore through 2025.
A highlights reel featuring interviews, sessions playlist and photos can all be found on BOKS website here.
Also, the presentations are available to download here.
A special mention must be made of the inspiring and uplifting session from John Petersson, Partner at member firm Harboe Consult Aps., who challenged us to think differently about how we create inclusion in our firms. Drawing parallels between his success as a Paralympian and a business owner was one of the highlights of the event.
Paris follows two very successful EMEA and Ibero-America regional meetings and showcases the impact and importance of face-to-face networking. Thank you to all who have attended.
Also, in Paris, we were able to celebrate the M&A Opportunities group’s first major success: a US Manufacturing company bought an entity in Mexico, with a member conducting the due diligence.
This group is gaining traction, not least because of the passion and work of Jacinto Colorado of Via Consultores (Madrid). We commend their regular email updates on opportunities, which are sent directly to you.
Being able to bring together the participants of the Focus Groups and Special Interest Groups in real life proved to be another success. Special mentions to Mark Lomme of BOL International (Audit) and Trevor Shaw of TC (Tax), who continue to guide and grow these two essential communities. Paris also saw the largest gathering of our legal members, and we are excited to see how the reformed Legal Practice Management SIG developed in 2025 under Rodrigo Jardim (JGSA) and Bari Zahn (Zahn Law Global).
Of course, not every group gains the traction it needs to develop long-term. However, there is particular interest in the new Payroll Focus Group, which comprises nearly entirely of payroll staff within member firms. This goes to the heart of BOKS membership being able to help and support every member of your team, and if your payroll team is currently not involved, we heartily encourage them to join.
Specific progress was also made around the staff mobility and secondment initiatives.
We are delighted to say that some of our Spanish members have been able to confirm the following:
| Santander, Spain | Glezco | Date: 2nd week of September Capacity: 10 people Duration: 2 weeks Work Setting: Office Accommodation: Glezco exploring options |
| Barcelona, Spain | Xterna | Date: Open for discussion Disciplines: Accounting, tax compliance, payroll statutory, financial reporting Duration: Open for discussion Work Setting: Office Hours: 9:00 – 18:00 |
| Madrid, Spain | VIA Consultores | Dates: Open for discussion Capacity: 1 person Duration: 2 weeks Work Setting: Office |
If you are interested either in applying for members of your team or would like to be able to offer similar secondments, then please contact [email protected].
We head into 2025 with 112 members across 72 countries and sit at 11 in the IAB International rankings.
We are particularly pleased to see the increase in the number of legal firms, thanks to the work of David Moore in the BOKS team and the number of recommendations by existing members. This continues to be an area of member development, and given the activity in Paris, it is proving to be both a lively and highly valued aspect of the BOKS community.
While rankings themselves don’t really prove much, they are useful for benchmarking our progress and determining how we can build to the right scale to maximise the value to members and their clients. More details on this can be found in the BOKS update presentation slides in the previous download link.
As we continue to grow, it is also inevitable that we must thank departing members for their contributions: ECLISAR Financial & Professional Services, HMGN, Aaditas Hr Advisory Pvt., M. Shahidul Islam & Co, AES, Ashraf Elsersawy.
EMEA Regional Meeting
Location: Lisbon
Dates: 24th–26th April
Note: Registration now open
Ibero-America Regional Meeting
Location: Rio de Janeiro
Dates: 18th–20th June
Annual Global Conference
Dates: October/November
Details: To be announced soon.
Additionally, attendees voted to host the 2026 Global Conference in Tokyo, Japan.
Finally, we would like to extend a special thank you to all our members who have contributed so much to each other’s mutual success, a warm welcome to those who have joined us through the year, and a sincere hope that you have a rewarding and profitable year in 2025.
