FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
ICAS chief gets global role
ICAS CEO, Bruce Cartwright CA, has been appointed as Chair of the Global Accounting Alliance (GAA). He succeeds Barry Melancon, who retired at the end of 2024.
Commenting on his appointment, Cartwright said: “It is a privilege to take up the position of Chair at the GAA. The Alliance provides a vital role in fostering collaboration among accountants globally while advocating for international issues to support the advancement of the profession.
“The accountancy industry is going through a transformative phase, driven by significant political and technological changes creating ripple effects across economies, including accountancy. In my role I hope to help in reshaping the profession and making sure we lead in the advancement of pertinent issues such as sustainability reporting, governance reforms and regulatory developments.”
Jim Knafo, CEO of the GAA, added: “I warmly congratulate Bruce on his appointment and look forward to collaborating with him even more closely in his new role. Bruce’s outstanding leadership as CEO of ICAS, and his extensive experience on our board of directors, make him exceptionally well-suited for this position.”
The GAA was formed in 2005 and serves as a forum for 10 of the world’s leading professional accountancy bodies, including ICAS, representing more than 1,400,000 accountants across the world.
Learn more about the Global Accounting Alliance
Accelerate action
In the run-up to International Women’s Day, on 8 March, ICAS is holding two events this month under the banner “Accelerate Action for Women”, in line with this year’s theme.
The first, Planning for Financial Security, in partnership with Independent Women, part of Forvis Mazars, takes place in Edinburgh on 26 February. It features Lesley Mackintosh from Independent Women, as well as Louisa Knox, of law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn, Mel Sherwood, who coaches personal impact and confidence, and Fiona Donnelly, ICAS Director of Sustainability.
This event is particularly relevant for mid- to late-career women seeking to enhance their financial independence and security. You can expect to gain insights into investing for the future, career breaks, retirement, legacy planning and more. Regardless of where you are in your financial literacy journey, you’ll gain actionable steps and practical advice on financial planning and wealth management.
The second event, Building Careers and Financial Freedom, held in London on 27 February, is aimed at CAs in the first 15 years of their career, as well as students. It will be hosted by Justine Riccomini, Head of Tax (Employment and Devolved Taxes) at ICAS, and features speakers Ronke Odewumi, chartered accountant and specialist in savings and investments, Mimi Gom, Senior Partner at St James’s Place Wealth Management, and Lorraine Twist, Director at Hays.
Topics in London will include negotiating remuneration, career progression, using your pension to promote long-term growth and building wealth through diversified instruments.
Both events will discuss the importance of collective action, from allyship to mentoring. Accordingly you are very welcome to bring a guest, whether an ally or a woman who has inspired you in your professional journey.
Edinburgh
Date: Wednesday 26 February 2025
Location: The Botanist, 1 Little King Street, Edinburgh EH1 3AR
Time: 16.30–19.00
Free to attend for all
London
Date: Thursday 27 February 2025
Location: Hays Recruitment Office, 107 Cheapside, London EC2V 6DN
Time: 16.30–19.00
Free to attend for all
Accelerate action
In the run-up to International Women’s Day, on 8 March, ICAS is holding two events this month under the banner “Accelerate Action for Women”, in line with this year’s theme.
The first, Planning for Financial Security, in partnership with Independent Women, part of Forvis Mazars, takes place in Edinburgh on 26 February. It features Lesley Mackintosh from Independent Women, as well as Louisa Knox, of law firm Shepherd and Wedderburn, Mel Sherwood, who coaches personal impact and confidence, and Fiona Donnelly, ICAS Director of Sustainability.
This event is particularly relevant for mid- to late-career women seeking to enhance their financial independence and security. You can expect to gain insights into investing for the future, career breaks, retirement, legacy planning and more. Regardless of where you are in your financial literacy journey, you’ll gain actionable steps and practical advice on financial planning and wealth management.
The second event, Building Careers and Financial Freedom, held in London on 27 February, is aimed at CAs in the first 15 years of their career, as well as students. It will be hosted by Justine Riccomini, Head of Tax (Employment and Devolved Taxes) at ICAS, and features speakers Ronke Odewumi, chartered accountant and specialist in savings and investments, Mimi Gom, Senior Partner at St James’s Place Wealth Management, and Lorraine Twist, Director at Hays.
Topics in London will include negotiating remuneration, career progression, using your pension to promote long-term growth and building wealth through diversified instruments.
Both events will discuss the importance of collective action, from allyship to mentoring. Accordingly you are very welcome to bring a guest, whether an ally or a woman who has inspired you in your professional journey.
Edinburgh
Date: Wednesday 26 February 2025
Location: The Botanist, 1 Little King Street, Edinburgh EH1 3AR
Time: 16.30–19.00
Free to attend for all
London
Date: Thursday 27 February 2025
Location: Hays Recruitment Office, 107 Cheapside, London EC2V 6DN
Time: 16.30–19.00
Free to attend for all
By royal appointment
While the headlines are typically reserved for celebrities from the worlds of showbiz and sport (arise Sirs Gareth Southgate and Stephen Fry), the New Year Honours list often includes less famous but equally deserving names from the ranks of ICAS’ membership. The 2025 list was no exception, with two CAs among those to be honoured.
David Green CA, Chief Executive of the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, becomes an OBE for services to UK/South Africa relations. Green has been in his current job at the historic V&A – the oldest working harbour in the southern hemisphere – since 2009. He is also Chair of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art, situated in the extensive waterfront’s Silo district.
Also receiving an OBE is Martin Murray CA, Finance Director of Swire Pacific. Murray, who is based in Hong Kong, is honoured for services to charity, thanks to his roles as Chair and trustee of the Indochina Starfish Foundation children’s charity and a fundraiser for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which was launched by the late Scottish rugby icon Doddie Weir to raise money for research into motor neurone disease.
ICAS congratulates both members on their outstanding achievement.
Pictured top left: David Green CA OBE; bottom right: Martin Murray CA OBE
Pictured top left: David Green CA OBE; bottom right: Martin Murray CA OBE
By royal appointment
While the headlines are typically reserved for celebrities from the worlds of showbiz and sport (arise Sirs Gareth Southgate and Stephen Fry), the New Year Honours list often includes less famous but equally deserving names from the ranks of ICAS’ membership. The 2025 list was no exception, with two CAs among those to be honoured.
David Green CA, Chief Executive of the V&A Waterfront, Cape Town, becomes an OBE for services to UK/South Africa relations. Green has been in his current job at the historic V&A – the oldest working harbour in the southern hemisphere – since 2009. He is also Chair of the Zeitz Museum of Contemporary Art, situated in the extensive waterfront’s Silo district.
Also receiving an OBE is Martin Murray CA, Finance Director of Swire Pacific. Murray, who is based in Hong Kong, is honoured for services to charity, thanks to his roles as Chair and trustee of the Indochina Starfish Foundation children’s charity and a fundraiser for My Name’5 Doddie Foundation, which was launched by the late Scottish rugby icon Doddie Weir to raise money for research into motor neurone disease.
ICAS congratulates both members on their outstanding achievement.
Free support for Evolve members and ICAS students
The Evolve member wellbeing helpline is free for all Evolve practice firms and their employees. The confidential helpline, provided by global wellbeing service CiC, gives Evolve members access to 24/7 mental health, legal and wellbeing support. This extends to CAs and non-CAs working in your firm (and their family members).
Evolve members can also benefit from the online wellbeing portal and app to access advice and support. They can connect with an expert counsellor free of charge for up to six counselling sessions per case, per person.
The suite of wellbeing services is designed to help deal with problems, whether arising from personal or work life, that could be affecting your health and general wellbeing. Support is available on a wide range of matters such as mental health, money management, legal issues and medical information.
If you’re already receiving support from our previous provider, Health Assured, CiC will work with that firm to ensure a smooth transition of services. Please contact CiC directly and provide details of any existing issues.
These benefits are also available to all students (and their family members) through the student assistance programme, whether or not they are with firms that are part of Evolve. The confidential service is designed to assist with personal and professional problems that could be affecting your home life, work life, studies, health and general wellbeing. You’ll find support for a wide range of issues, such as coping with assessment pressure and managing working while studying. You’ll find more info about the student assistance programme in Advantage.
Find out more about the free wellbeing helpline
Simplify compliance with Amiqus
Meeting stringent AML compliance requirements doesn’t have to be a headache. With Amiqus, you can automate and centralise all your compliance checks, reducing manual work, minimising errors and enhancing the client experience.
Whether your prospective client is in the same city or the other side of the country, you don’t need to see them in person or spend time emailing back and forth to collect their documents. Simply send a check request via the secure Amiqus platform, and the client provides the required information on their device, anytime, anywhere. Almost instantly, you’ll have a verification report ready for review.
Take advantage of our exclusive offering for ICAS member firms, which gives you access to:
● Discounted price plans
● ICAS-approved risk assessment templates
● Training materials
● CPD webinars and events
● Ongoing support
Schedule a consultation with the Amiqus team today
Run the line
Jake Robinson CA, FSO Senior Associate at EY and ICAS London area network committee member, embarked on a unique challenge to raise awareness around the issue of men’s mental health. He tells the story below.
Why we did it
Globally, a man dies by suicide every minute. Movember provides crucial support to mitigate the silent crisis of men’s mental health, helping to save lives and prevent heartbreak for loved ones.
So, besides growing a sub-average ’tache, late last year I got together with friends to do something special to fundraise for Movember and help change men’s mental health for the better. We decided to run the entire Elizabeth line in one go on 11 December. Reading to Abbey Wood, 100km (62 miles), 25 stops, nearly 15 hours of running.
How the idea came about
Since the Movember Foundation is a mental health charity we decided to run and share this with others, making it into a Strava event [an app that tracks and shares your run in real time] with an open invite for others to join or support along the way.
Unlike other London tube networks, the Elizabeth line hadn’t been run all in one go before, so this was something completely novel. And the distance was a means for us to push ourselves to new limits as none of us had ever run further than a marathon before.
What it was like
The challenge kicked off with a 7am departure from Reading station. The first few kilometres were run in darkness before the sun rose as we came across our first stop, Twyford.
The next few stops came and went fairly slowly, powered by lots of Lucozade sports and energy gels. The nadir came around the 40k mark. With aches and pains beginning to settle in, our route took us along busy main roads through the industrial estates near Slough station. We stuck at it, though, and 20km later we were in London, where we were met at West Ealing by our first companion runners. From there, we had morale-boosting company all the way to Abbey Wood, with different friends and colleagues joining us to run between the city’s stops.
With spirits high, we successfully navigated the heavy pedestrian traffic and bounced through London. We crossed under the Thames via Woolwich foot tunnel. Finishing at Abbey Wood, we were greeted by friends awaiting our arrival in a local pub. After nearly 15 hours of running, the relief at being done was immense.
It was an awesome experience, and sharing the challenge kept us motivated and believing we could get through anything. The undoubted highlight of our run was the nearly £6k we raised, as well as the love and support we received from friends and family along the way.
You can donate to the Movember Foundation here
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