FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
In Conversation: Amy Irons talks to Mary Portas OBE
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, please join us for an evening of anecdotes, business advice and inspiration as TV and radio presenter Amy Irons talks to Queen of Shops, Mary Portas.
They will be discussing Portas’s stellar career, in which she went from John Lewis Saturday shop assistant to reshaping the fortunes of Harvey Nichols as Creative Director, then on to producing a government report on reviving town centres that saw her dubbed ‘high-street tsar’.
Portas will also discuss:
• How we can achieve a more equitable society and balance the scales.
• How business can bring societal change.
• The role of the finance professional in enabling business as a force for good.
• Why business and creativity need to work in tandem.
Location: Everyman Cinema, Unit 3–5, Princes Square, Buchanan St, Glasgow G1 3JN – and online
Date: Wednesday 25 February 2026
Time: 18.00–20.30 GMT
Price: £20 members, £10 students (both inc VAT) or watch online for free. All proceeds go to the Smart Works charity
Find more information and book your ticket
In Conversation: Amy Irons talks to Mary Portas OBE
To mark International Women’s Day 2026, please join us for an evening of anecdotes, business advice and inspiration as TV and radio presenter Amy Irons talks to Queen of Shops, Mary Portas.
They will be discussing Portas’s stellar career, in which she went from John Lewis Saturday shop assistant to reshaping the fortunes of Harvey Nichols as Creative Director, then on to producing a government report on reviving town centres that saw her dubbed ‘high-street tsar’.
Portas will also discuss:
• How we can achieve a more equitable society and balance the scales.
• How business can bring societal change.
• The role of the finance professional in enabling business as a force for good.
• Why business and creativity need to work in tandem.
Location: Everyman Cinema, Unit 3–5, Princes Square, Buchanan St, Glasgow G1 3JN – and online
Date: Wednesday 25 February 2026
Time: 18.00–20.30 GMT
Price: £20 members, £10 students (both inc VAT) or watch online for free. All proceeds go to the Smart Works charity
Find more information and book your ticket
Creating workplaces that work for women
Women constitute 45–49% of the Big Four workforce in the UK, but only 24–28% are in partnership positions. This sharp contrast was one of the major findings in Breaking the Silence on the 3M, a world‑first research project exploring women’s experiences of menopause, menstruation and miscarriage in the accounting profession. The study highlights how silence and stigma around these issues continue to harm careers, wellbeing and progression.
As one interviewee explained: “It’s about trust. It’s about accepting that people are there to do a job and they will do that job, but they need to be able to do it in a way that maintains their health.” Her words reflect a recurring theme: women are committed to their work, but workplace structures and cultures don’t always support the realities of their health.
The research calls on employers, institutions and leaders to take practical steps. These include training managers in inclusive, people‑centred leadership; improving workplace facilities such as restrooms, private spaces and environmental controls; and building mentorship and peer networks, especially for women outside large firms.
ICAS is continuing this work and invites members to be part of taking it forward. If you’d like to help shape the next phase of this work, or be involved in future conversations (such as events, speaking opportunities or wider engagement), you can get in touch at research@icas.com to help us break the silence.
Read the full report here
Creating workplaces that work for women
Women constitute 45–49% of the Big Four workforce in the UK, but only 24–28% are in partnership positions. This sharp contrast was one of the major findings in Breaking the Silence on the 3M, a world‑first research project exploring women’s experiences of menopause, menstruation and miscarriage in the accounting profession. The study highlights how silence and stigma around these issues continue to harm careers, wellbeing and progression.
As one interviewee explained: “It’s about trust. It’s about accepting that people are there to do a job and they will do that job, but they need to be able to do it in a way that maintains their health.” Her words reflect a recurring theme: women are committed to their work, but workplace structures and cultures don’t always support the realities of their health.
The research calls on employers, institutions and leaders to take practical steps. These include training managers in inclusive, people‑centred leadership; improving workplace facilities such as restrooms, private spaces and environmental controls; and building mentorship and peer networks, especially for women outside large firms.
ICAS is continuing this work and invites members to be part of taking it forward. If you’d like to help shape the next phase of this work, or be involved in future conversations (such as events, speaking opportunities or wider engagement), you can get in touch at research@icas.com to help us break the silence.
Read the full report here
2026 Admission Ceremony
The Admission Ceremony is the pinnacle of our CA students’ journey with ICAS. It marks the end of their rigorous training and the beginning of their exciting career as a qualified CA. It’s a day filled with celebration and pride, not only for our new CAs, but also for their family, friends and for ICAS itself.
On Saturday 7 March we’ll welcome our newest CAs to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where they will be officially admitted to ICAS membership and join our global network of more than 24,000 members. The ceremony will feature inspiring speeches, a formal admission process, and the opportunity for our new members to celebrate with their guests and connect with other newly qualified CAs.
If you were, or are due to be, admitted between Monday 24 March 2025 and Friday 20 February 2026, you are eligible to attend the 2026 Admission Ceremony. Join us to celebrate your success in qualifying as a CA and admission to professional membership.
Date: Saturday 7 March 2026
Time: 09.30–14.00 GMT
Location: Edinburgh International Conference Centre, 150 Morrison St, Edinburgh EH3 8EE
Book your place now for the 2026 Admission Ceremony
2026 Admission Ceremony
The Admission Ceremony is the pinnacle of our CA students’ journey with ICAS. It marks the end of their rigorous training and the beginning of their exciting career as a qualified CA. It’s a day filled with celebration and pride, not only for our new CAs, but also for their family, friends and for ICAS itself.
On Saturday 7 March we’ll welcome our newest CAs to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre, where they will be officially admitted to ICAS membership and join our global network of more than 24,000 members. The ceremony will feature inspiring speeches, a formal admission process, and the opportunity for our new members to celebrate with their guests and connect with other newly qualified CAs.
If you were, or are due to be, admitted between Monday 24 March 2025 and Friday 20 February 2026, you are eligible to attend the 2026 Admission Ceremony. Join us to celebrate your success in qualifying as a CA and admission to professional membership.
Date: Saturday 7 March 2026
Time: 09.30–14.00 GMT
Location: Edinburgh International Conference Centre, 150 Morrison St, Edinburgh EH3 8EE
Book your place now for the 2026 Admission Ceremony
Run for the future
Karen Scholes CA is running the London Marathon this April in aid of the ICAS Foundation. The ICAS President will be travelling south from her Orkneys home to pound 26.2 miles of the capital’s streets on 26 April to raise money for the charity. She will be joined for the race by Dean Scobie CA, who came through the ICAS Foundation and is now an Alumni Ambassador.
The ICAS Foundation aims to improve social mobility by aiding academically talented young people from challenging backgrounds to study finance-related courses at university, by supplying them with bursaries and access to mentors.
Scholes – who will be running her first marathon – says: “Running the London Marathon was never part of my agenda as the President of ICAS. Social mobility and access to education, however, were always a top priority for me. I wanted my tenure to increase the chances of young people from poorer socio-economic backgrounds to be able to enter the profession I love so much.”
Scobie says: “The ICAS Foundation helped me throughout my time at university – support that helped shape my journey… If running 26 miles helps someone else from a background like mine, it’s worth every step.”
Scholes has set a target of £30,000 and, at time of writing, is almost one-third of the way there; Scobie’s target is £5,000 and he is currently 25% of the way towards his goal. You can sponsor either or both of them – and help to make the next generation of CAs truly reflective of the society they serve – by clicking their respective links.
Both Karen Scholes CA and Dean Scobie CA are running for the ICAS Foundation to help give opportunities to the next generation and to boost social mobility within the financial professions. All donations, no matter the size, will be gratefully received
Run for the future
Karen Scholes CA is running the London Marathon this April in aid of the ICAS Foundation. The ICAS President will be travelling south from her Orkneys home to pound 26.2 miles of the capital’s streets on 26 April to raise money for the charity. She will be joined for the race by Dean Scobie CA, who came through the ICAS Foundation and is now an Alumni Ambassador.
The ICAS Foundation aims to improve social mobility by aiding academically talented young people from challenging backgrounds to study finance-related courses at university, by supplying them with bursaries and access to mentors.
Scholes – who will be running her first marathon – says: “Running the London Marathon was never part of my agenda as the President of ICAS. Social mobility and access to education, however, were always a top priority for me. I wanted my tenure to increase the chances of young people from poorer socio-economic backgrounds to be able to enter the profession I love so much.”
Scobie says: “The ICAS Foundation helped me throughout my time at university – support that helped shape my journey… If running 26 miles helps someone else from a background like mine, it’s worth every step.”
Scholes has set a target of £30,000 and, at time of writing, is almost one-third of the way there; Scobie’s target is £5,000 and he is currently 25% of the way towards his goal. You can sponsor either or both of them – and help to make the next generation of CAs truly reflective of the society they serve – by clicking their respective links.
Both Karen Scholes CA and Dean Scobie CA are running for the ICAS Foundation to help give opportunities to the next generation and to boost social mobility within the financial professions. All donations, no matter the size, will be gratefully received
Built with Shorthand