When you are a jet-setting figurehead of the global accounting profession, its pretty certain that you diary is going to be very full most of the time. So much so that, with all the best intentions in the world, it is difficult for you give up much time to spend talking to journalists.

So when TS got the chance to have a chat with Sir David Tweedie in between finishing yet another board meeting and jetting off to another far-flung location, we grabbed it with both hands.

Unfortunately, even when you do manage to get him on the phone, things still manage to conspire against you. During a chat about the recent convergence announcement, Sir David and TS were rudely interrupted by the setting off of a very loud alarm at the IASB headquarters, hastening Sir David's dash out the building and no doubt onto another airplane.

TS assumes that what it heard was a fire alarm, but is still left with the nagging possibility that it was indeed Sir David's own regular warning bell telling him to get off the phone and into a taxi. A big man needs a big alarm after all.