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Chris Good CA’s candour about his recovery from a mental health crisis offers a signal lesson for the profession, says President Clive Bellingham CA
What a year!
Karen Scholes CA revisits her time as President – a period of evolution, with new faces and a fast-changing profession, but values that remain an important constant for a world in flux
Ihad no plans to become ICAS President. When I was first approached about standing to be an office bearer I was almost speechless. Presidents tend not to come from small practices, and especially not from someone who lives as far north as Orkney. But looking back on the year, I was able to be part of the huge evolution at ICAS – and I feel very grateful for that.
One of the standout moments during my term as President was helping to select the new CEO. Gail Boag’s appointment was by no means a given – there was a rigorous interview process – but I am absolutely certain we have appointed the right person to take ICAS forward. I’d also like to pay tribute to Bruce Cartwright CA, who was brilliant during the handover period.
I stood for President on a platform of meeting members in practice across the country – whether it was Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and even Orkney and Shetland, which ICAS visited at the end of March.
At the beginning of that month we held an event on the introduction of Making Tax Digital, led by our Head of Tax, Katie Close CA, and assisted by Director of Practice, David Menzies CA. They took questions throughout the two-hour session from members in practice, many of whom are sole practitioners or running small firms.
Another feature of a unique period has been witnessing the pace of change in chartered accountancy. Wherever we have travelled, the issues raised tend to be similar – the attractiveness and future of the profession, the next chapter of audit, HMRC, private equity, and, increasingly, AI and how to integrate it successfully.
I have been really pleased to see that many of the issues raised by members are already being addressed by ICAS. For example, we recently published our latest Shaping the Profession report, Generative AI and Professional Judgement in Accounting. I urge members to download it, as it provides clear and important guidance for anyone looking to integrate the technology into their working practices – and to do so in an ethical way.
Over the past 12 months we have also held the first in-person ICAS Conference for many years – where I got to meet astronaut Tim Peake CBE – and I was proud to be part of launching the new ICAS Women’s Network. Another of my favourite moments was speaking at the 2025 Practice Conference (pictured), and you can find details of this year’s conference here.
“Seeing the entire room stand to give the Oath of Ethics is something unique to ICAS and a very powerful moment”
This month I will also be chairing a hustings event for the Holyrood elections – it is not every President who has an election during their term in office.
Regardless of who holds the presidency, there is one constant at ICAS: our commitment to ethical leadership. I took my husband along to our recent Admission Ceremony, and it was quite an experience for him. Seeing the entire room stand to give the Oath of Ethics is something unique to ICAS and a very powerful moment.
One of the many privileges of this role is signing and issuing the scrolls presented to the new CAs on this special day. I even had the pleasure of signing one for one of my own employees from our Kirkwall office, Ryan Allen CA, who has progressed along the pathway from ACCA to CA.
My lasting impression from the ceremony was that, having met and spoken to so many newly qualified CAs, I can say with complete confidence that the future of our profession is in very good hands.
ICAS is holding special events for members to meet the new President in Edinburgh in May and London in June. Register now
What a year!
Karen Scholes CA revisits her time as President – a period of evolution, with new faces and a fast-changing profession, but values that remain an important constant for a world in flux
I had no plans to become ICAS President. When I was first approached about standing to be an office bearer I was almost speechless. Presidents tend not to come from small practices, and especially not from someone who lives as far north as Orkney. But looking back on the year, I was able to be part of the huge evolution at ICAS – and I feel very grateful for that.
One of the standout moments during my term as President was helping to select the new CEO. Gail Boag’s appointment was by no means a given – there was a rigorous interview process – but I am absolutely certain we have appointed the right person to take ICAS forward. I’d also like to pay tribute to Bruce Cartwright CA, who was brilliant during the handover period.
I stood for President on a platform of meeting members in practice across the country – whether it was Inverness, Aberdeen, Edinburgh, Glasgow, London, and even Orkney and Shetland, which ICAS visited at the end of March.
At the beginning of that month we held an event on the introduction of Making Tax Digital, led by our Head of Tax, Katie Close CA, and assisted by Director of Practice, David Menzies CA. They took questions throughout the two-hour session from members in practice, many of whom are sole practitioners or running small firms.
Another feature of a unique period has been witnessing the pace of change in chartered accountancy. Wherever we have travelled, the issues raised tend to be similar – the attractiveness and future of the profession, the next chapter of audit, HMRC, private equity, and, increasingly, AI and how to integrate it successfully.
I have been really pleased to see that many of the issues raised by members are already being addressed by ICAS. For example, we recently published our latest Shaping the Profession report, Generative AI and Professional Judgement in Accounting. I urge members to download it, as it provides clear and important guidance for anyone looking to integrate the technology into their working practices – and to do so in an ethical way.
Over the past 12 months we have also held the first in-person ICAS Conference for many years – where I got to meet astronaut Tim Peake CBE – and I was proud to be part of launching the new ICAS Women’s Network. Another of my favourite moments was speaking at the 2025 Practice Conference (pictured), and you can find details of this year’s conference here.
“Seeing the entire room stand to give the Oath of Ethics is something unique to ICAS and a very powerful moment”
This month I will also be chairing a hustings event for the Holyrood elections – it is not every President who has an election during their term in office.
Regardless of who holds the presidency, there is one constant at ICAS: our commitment to ethical leadership. I took my husband along to our recent Admission Ceremony, and it was quite an experience for him. Seeing the entire room stand to give the Oath of Ethics is something unique to ICAS and a very powerful moment.
One of the many privileges of this role is signing and issuing the scrolls presented to the new CAs on this special day. I even had the pleasure of signing one for one of my own employees from our Kirkwall office, Ryan Allen CA, who has progressed along the pathway from ACCA to CA.
My lasting impression from the ceremony was that, having met and spoken to so many newly qualified CAs, I can say with complete confidence that the future of our profession is in very good hands.
ICAS is holding special events for members to meet the new President in Edinburgh in May and London in June. Register now
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