Depending on when you read this, you will either be about to vote in the general election or the results will be in and, in all probability, a new government will just have been formed. Irrespective of your politics, there is a consensus that the new administration will have a sizeable in-tray of urgent issues to address.

ICAS has set out its manifesto, with five asks of the new government. They are, in no particular order:

• Audit and corporate governance reform
• Investing in our tax system and HMRC
• Making UK business more sustainable
• Skills and equipping our profession for the future
• Clear, consistent and proportional regulation

In his regular column, CEO Bruce Cartwright CA examines each of them in more detail. You can read his thoughts here.

With support from the government, the accounting profession can play an influential role in making UK business more sustainable. Elsewhere in this issue, we examine how the role of the CFO has evolved in recent years, what lies ahead, and why sustainability reporting is likely to provide the most significant change to the prominence and breadth of the CFO’s remit.

Our new President, Alison Cornwell CA, is also a vastly experienced CFO and she lends her voice to that piece. You may have seen Alison at one of our recent events, at which she has been busily recruiting new members for our boards, panels and committees. To celebrate South Asian Heritage Month, taking place 18 July–17 August, we speak to four south Asian CAs who sit on those boards, panels and committees to find out how they have benefited from the experience.

Among them is Tracey Rob Perera CA, Chair of our EDI Committee. ICAS recently launched its new EDI strategy built around three key pillars – social mobility, equality and wellbeing. You can find out more about the strategy here.

Last, but far from least, we speak to David Cruickshank CA, who reflects on what he has learned from a remarkable career that has included being Global Chair of Deloitte, and sets out his ambitions and plans for his term as our newest ICAS office bearer.

Enjoy the issue.

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

For more resources visit the sustainability hub