The memories of 10 Past Presidents show how what was once game-changing is now just taken for granted. We will need that agility to roll with the radical changes to come, says CEO Bruce Cartwright CA

This month we celebrate 170 years of ICAS. And in this issue we have brought together 10 Past Presidents – ranging from the early 1990s to just last year – to share their thoughts on their time in office. You can read their recollections here.

Going through their responses, it is interesting to see they all write about the key issues and game-changing developments for the profession at that time; for example, the evolution of global standards from a UK perspective, interactions with government and ministers and, more recently, working in a global pandemic environment. The common theme is embracing the challenges, moving forward, enhancing the brand

It is another reminder both that the profession is constantly evolving – and of the role ICAS has played in that.

Each of the Past Presidents provides a snapshot of their year, the most recent striking example being when Catherine Burnet CA took the role in 2020 shortly after the pandemic had driven the UK into the first and strictest of its Covid lockdowns.

Catherine, like her predecessors, would have come to the presidency with her own thoughts on how to help deliver on our strategic ambitions alongside the ambassadorial nature of the role. Instead, she had to manage the board and interact with a global membership from the confines of her own house as an add-on to her day job in a senior role at KPMG.

We knew we had to change, but it was only during the pandemic itself that we pivoted naturally to a new modus operandi. Like many other organisations, we had to up our game and become far more agile – which we did. Rather than just saying, “We’ve got this project and we’ll run a pilot scheme, see what happens and report back – which could take a few years”, we had to make things happen instantly, while still mitigating risk.

That changed our mindset. Within the confines of a regulatory and educational environment we learned to be more ambitious in our approach, to take appropriate risk within mitigated parameters and be unafraid of being wrong. Agility and the ability to pivot are hopefully now in our operational DNA. We have greater confidence in ourselves as an organisation and in our peers.

Contribution and continuity

What also struck me is how our Past Presidents all talk about being part of the bigger story; there is little “I did this”, more “this was my contribution, and then the baton was passed on”.  

The common theme is they all entered office with a strong desire to build and leave ICAS in a better place for the next generation. Continuity and community speak large.

There is only one “oldest” accountancy body in the world – and around 180 bodies which can’t make that statement – but it doesn’t define us, and it must not confine us to a place in history in a world that moves at the pace it does now. If you’re stuck saying, “This is how we’ve always done things”, then while you’re busy admiring your trophy cabinet, the rest of the world will just speed on by.

“There is only one ‘oldest’ accountancy body in the world, but it doesn’t define us, and it must not confine us to a place in history”

When I reflect on this year, ICAS has been through such an exciting time, with the full rollout of the new syllabus and introducing changes in the delivery model that provide so much flexibility for students and the firms that train them. I’m also excited about what lies ahead in 2025, because we’re just at the start of this new journey in what we’re teaching, how we’re teaching and where we’re teaching. We can absolutely build out from the sound foundations we have laid.

If you’re a more senior member, we now have the tools and capabilities to bring you up to date with what our newest CAs are learning in the worlds of sustainability and data analytics. And you can take those skills, and that expertise, and apply them anywhere in the world.

Looking forward, the development of the marketplace for accountancy and AI will only get faster. One can say with certainty that the next five years will move faster than any five-year period in the past 170 years – the lifetime of ICAS.

AI presents challenges in terms of ethics and trust, which have been two constant themes throughout our 170-year history. One line from AI expert Zöe Webster at our recent CA Summit stuck with me: “It’s one thing for AI to guide me in what clothes I should buy. It’s another to direct me to the appropriate financial borrowing.” That word “ethics” creeps to the front of mind again. Certainly the tech can make your life easier, and AI might well police certain AI, but decisions and data will still be ultimately driven with informed professionals at the helm.

There’s an internal challenge to all CAs, especially when dealing with change happening at a rapid pace. We need to continually recognise the need to be on top of our own moral compass before looking at  anybody else’s. It’s in our DNA, and rightly so. Because if you can’t challenge yourself, you’re unlikely to successfully challenge other people.

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