FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
Practice Conference 2026
The accountancy profession continues to evolve at pace, placing increasing pressure on practice owners and business leaders. With recruitment challenges, pricing pressures and the pace of AI, automation and Making Tax Digital, it’s easy to feel pulled in several different directions.
Hosted by Richard Sergeant, Founder and Managing Director of Principle Point, the ICAS Practice Conference 2026: Profitability by Design will help you cut through the noise and explore how you can strengthen your firm’s foundations across people, processes, pricing and technology.
Joining Will Farnell, James Sundin and Alexis Kingsbury on this year’s expert speaker programme is Jordan Vickery, co-founder of Vinyl, an AI assistant built for accounting firms. He will demonstrate five AI workflows that every firm should be using right now, offering practical insight that takes you beyond the hype and towards practical adoption.
Date: Tuesday 16 June 2026
Time: 09:00-18:00
Location: Radisson Blu Glasgow, 301 Argyle St, Glasgow G2 8DL
Dress code: Business casual
Free to ICAS students, members and non-members working in practice. Refreshments, lunch and drinks reception are included.
Practice Conference 2026
The accountancy profession continues to evolve at pace, placing increasing pressure on practice owners and business leaders. With recruitment challenges, pricing pressures and the pace of AI, automation and Making Tax Digital, it’s easy to feel pulled in several different directions.
Hosted by Richard Sergeant, Founder and Managing Director of Principle Point, the ICAS Practice Conference 2026: Profitability by Design will help you cut through the noise and explore how you can strengthen your firm’s foundations across people, processes, pricing and technology.
Joining Will Farnell, James Sundin and Alexis Kingsbury on this year’s expert speaker programme is Jordan Vickery, co-founder of Vinyl, an AI assistant built for accounting firms. He will demonstrate five AI workflows that every firm should be using right now, offering practical insight that takes you beyond the hype and towards practical adoption.
Date: Tuesday 16 June 2026
Time: 09:00-18:00
Location: Radisson Blu Glasgow, 301 Argyle St, Glasgow G2 8DL
Dress code: Business casual
Free to ICAS students, members and non-members working in practice. Refreshments, lunch and drinks reception are included.
Deputy President receives his honour
ICAS Deputy President Jonny Jacobs CA received an MBE from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle in May, after being recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 for his services to mental health.
The honour reflects Jonny’s long-standing work to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, helping to drive cultural change across a range of organisations.
Jonny’s work in this space began at Pladis, where he led the company’s wellbeing agenda and served as the executive sponsor of the employee mental health and wellbeing initiative across the UK and Ireland, including the “Let’s Talk” partnership with McVitie’s and Mind.
Since then, he has continued to drive purpose-led programmes at the businesses he has led, including Starbucks and through board positions, including with the Mental Health Foundation. He has also shaped ICAS’ own mental fitness strategy, bringing the same commercial discipline to a cause that too often sits at the margins of business leadership.
Reflecting on the investiture ceremony, Jonny said: “It was a real privilege, as was being surrounded by some of the most inspirational people – individuals who’ve done some truly incredible things – made it a really special day.
“For me personally, the motivation to make a difference has always come from my own experiences, and from witnessing the challenges faced by those around me. In that moment, you reflect not only on the progress we’ve made in helping to shift the agenda, but also on the people who inspired that change."
Read more about Jonny’s work in mental health
Deputy President receives his honour
ICAS Deputy President Jonny Jacobs CA received an MBE from Princess Anne at Windsor Castle in May, after being recognised in the King’s Birthday Honours 2025 for his services to mental health.
The honour reflects Jonny’s long-standing work to promote positive mental health and wellbeing in the workplace, helping to drive cultural change across a range of organisations.
Jonny’s work in this space began at Pladis, where he led the company’s wellbeing agenda and served as the executive sponsor of the employee mental health and wellbeing initiative across the UK and Ireland, including the “Let’s Talk” partnership with McVitie’s and Mind.
Since then, he has continued to drive purpose-led programmes at the businesses he has led, including Starbucks and through board positions, including with the Mental Health Foundation. He has also shaped ICAS’ own mental fitness strategy, bringing the same commercial discipline to a cause that too often sits at the margins of business leadership.
Reflecting on the investiture ceremony, Jonny said: “It was a real privilege, as was being surrounded by some of the most inspirational people – individuals who’ve done some truly incredible things – made it a really special day.
“For me personally, the motivation to make a difference has always come from my own experiences, and from witnessing the challenges faced by those around me. In that moment, you reflect not only on the progress we’ve made in helping to shift the agenda, but also on the people who inspired that change."
Read more about Jonny’s work in mental health
The Future Skills of the Finance Profession
Join ICAS for a forward-looking breakfast session that examines how chartered accountancy is set to evolve in the near future.
The Future Skills of the Finance Profession, part of the 2026 Edinburgh Finance Festival programme, is a must-attend event for anyone shaping or leading the sector.
The panel will bring together senior voices from across finance to explore how the skillsets required of professionals are rapidly evolving. You can expect to hear about:
- Society’s expectations of accountants in the future.
- Technology and the accelerating impact of AI on ethical leadership and public trust.
- Sustainability and the shift to a net zero economy.
- What education and skills providers must do now to prepare future talent.
Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026
Time: 08:30–11:15
Location: CA House, 21 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh EH12 5BH
Dress code: Business casual
Free to attend for all
Register here for The Future Skills of the Finance Profession
The Future Skills of the Finance Profession
Join ICAS for a forward-looking breakfast session that examines how chartered accountancy is set to evolve in the near future.
The Future Skills of the Finance Profession, part of the 2026 Edinburgh Finance Festival programme, is a must-attend event for anyone shaping or leading the sector.
The panel will bring together senior voices from across finance to explore how the skillsets required of professionals are rapidly evolving. You can expect to hear about:
- Society’s expectations of accountants in the future.
- Technology and the accelerating impact of AI on ethical leadership and public trust.
- Sustainability and the shift to a net zero economy.
- What education and skills providers must do now to prepare future talent.
Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026
Time: 08:30–11:15
Location: CA House, 21 Haymarket Yards, Edinburgh EH12 5BH
Dress code: Business casual
Free to attend for all
Register here for The Future Skills of the Finance Profession
Trusted professionals shaping the future
The ICAS annual report and financial statements for 2025 were recently published following approval from the membership at April’s AGM.
As the report highlights, 2025 was a year in which ICAS focused on supporting the profession through uncertain times. New pathways were developed to the CA qualification, and the CA syllabus and training experience continued to evolve, to keep ICAS members at the forefront of business, finance and accounting.
Ethical leadership was central to ICAS activity in 2025, with a bold approach to influencing positive change and championing matters in the public interest.
ICAS also maintained its focus on sustainability, informing and inspiring members and equipping the next generation for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Throughout the year, an emphasis was placed on enhancing customer experience and delivering effective and efficient regulatory functions across the licensing, monitoring and enforcement teams.
As the report also notes, 2025 was the year in which Bruce Cartwright CA announced he was retiring from his position as CEO. He has now handed over the reins to Gail Boag (pictured), who outlined her vision for the year to come.
Trusted professionals shaping the future
The ICAS annual report and financial statements for 2025 were recently published following approval from the membership at April’s AGM.
As the report highlights, 2025 was a year in which ICAS focused on supporting the profession through uncertain times. New pathways were developed to the CA qualification, and the CA syllabus and training experience continued to evolve, to keep ICAS members at the forefront of business, finance and accounting.
Ethical leadership was central to ICAS activity in 2025, with a bold approach to influencing positive change and championing matters in the public interest.
ICAS also maintained its focus on sustainability, informing and inspiring members and equipping the next generation for the challenges and opportunities ahead.
Throughout the year, an emphasis was placed on enhancing customer experience and delivering effective and efficient regulatory functions across the licensing, monitoring and enforcement teams.
As the report also notes, 2025 was the year in which Bruce Cartwright CA announced he was retiring from his position as CEO. He has now handed over the reins to Gail Boag (pictured), who outlined her vision for the year to come.
Reception at the Churchill exhibition
ICAS is delighted to invite you for a special reception at the Wallace Collection, with exclusive access to the Winston Churchill: The Painter exhibition.
The first major retrospective of Sir Winston Churchill’s art since his death, this exhibition brings together more than 50 of his paintings. The majority are from private collections, rarely accessible to the public.
One of the works on display is on loan from ICAS, having been gifted to the institute by the original owner, James Wood CA, who was the former Prime Minister’s accountant for around 40 years. The painting is called View near Marrakech – the city was one of Churchill’s favourite places and one he often visited to paint. You can read more about the two men’s relationship in our feature this month.
This is an ideal opportunity to make new connections and catch up with fellow CAs over drinks, while enjoying the creative vision of Churchill, one of the most significant statesmen of the 20th century.
Date: Thursday 3 September 2026
Time: 18:30–21:00
Location: The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN
This free event is exclusive for ICAS members and students. Places are limited, so sign up below to secure your spot.
Reception at the Churchill exhibition
ICAS is delighted to invite you for a special reception at the Wallace Collection, with exclusive access to the Winston Churchill: The Painter exhibition.
The first major retrospective of Sir Winston Churchill’s art since his death, this exhibition brings together more than 50 of his paintings. The majority are from private collections, rarely accessible to the public.
One of the works on display is on loan from ICAS, having been gifted to the institute by the original owner, James Wood CA, who was the former Prime Minister’s accountant for around 40 years. The painting is called View near Marrakech – the city was one of Churchill’s favourite places and one he often visited to paint. You can read more about the two men’s relationship in our feature this month.
This is an ideal opportunity to make new connections and catch up with fellow CAs over drinks, while enjoying the creative vision of Churchill, one of the most significant statesmen of the 20th century.
Date: Thursday 3 September 2026
Time: 18:30–21:00
Location: The Wallace Collection, Hertford House, Manchester Square, London W1U 3BN
This free event is exclusive for ICAS members and students. Places are limited, so sign up below to secure your spot.
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