In this issue, as his term as President comes to an end, Clive Bellingham CA reflects on the past year. His successor will be announced this month.

One of his final duties will be meeting more than 300 newly qualified CAs at our annual admission ceremony on 13 April. These CAs are unlike any previous cohort – they are the first group to fully benefit from our digital-first strategy and the Advantage platform that went live last summer.

Advantage has completely redefined and overhauled not only how students study and train to become a CA but also the relationship between authorised training offices (ATOs) and ICAS. It means the registration process has been streamlined, with far more flexibility for both the employer and the trainee, which also allows us to broaden the scope of firms that can become ATOs. Coupled with the rollout of our new syllabus, which launched on 22 March, this should help to attract a greater cross-section of students into the profession.

The CA qualification has provided the platform for countless successful careers. One such is Rachel Gerrish CA, who recently became Managing Director of S&P Global Ratings. You can read her story – and S&P’s forecast for the UK economy in 2024 – in these pages.

Also, this month, on 25 April we will host our second Sustainability Summit, building on the success of last year’s event. Find out more about this year’s summit and its line-up of guest speakers.

The following day, we hold the AGM where we will announce our new Council members along with our new office bearers, including the President. While ICAS is going through a period of significant change, ethics remains at our core and every newly inducted CA at the admission ceremony will take the ethics oath.

Our members can see when the numbers don’t add up; they can prevent a company from repeating the sort of errors that lead to a failed business. This issue includes a fascinating piece on the Library of Mistakes in Edinburgh. As founder and curator, Professor Russell Napier, says: “[The library] may not give you all the right answers but it gives you most of the right questions, which I think as an accountant is a good place to start.”

Sarah Speirs, ICAS Executive Director of Member Engagement and Communications
sspeirs@icas.com 

Register here for the ICAS AGM