Disclose 28

“The success of the next generation is built on the foresight of the current one.”

Thank you for dipping into our magazine Disclose. This issue is devoted to a theme of great relevance for the future: the next generation.

What’s next? This isn’t just something people and organisations in crisis have to ask themselves. It’s the very question that drives innovation, growth and success in business. If you stand still, you go backwards – in other words, you fail.

So in this Disclose we look at the crucial question of what’s next at many different levels. Succession planning is one of the key tasks for any family business. But even businesses that don’t depend on a single family have to think about continuity of leadership, and by extension about their whole philosophy of leadership. I’d warmly recommend anyone in industry to read the article on the development of cobots: robots that work hand in hand with humans. We also have a fascinating article on certification that adds a whole new dimension to the old debate around pay inequality. The article describing the way forward for the finance function and audit in the 4.0 era is worth reading as well. Finally, Disclose talks to Cornelia Ritz Bossicard, president of swissVR, about the board of directors of the future.

As always, our Update articles keep you up to speed on relevant audit-related matters. This time they include an explanation of why you should check the applicability of the EU’s General Data Protection Regulation and adapt your practice as necessary. We also describe how IFRS 16 will affect financial statements produced in accordance with the Swiss Code of Obligations. Last but not least, we continue the debate on Tax Proposal 17.

I hope this issue of Disclose offers some food for thought for the future – and look forward to the next time you click your way to our online magazine.

Alex Astolfi

Alex Astolfi
Member of the Management Board, Leader Assurance PwC Switzerland