International Women’s Day falls on 8 March, and in this issue we feature stories about four women whose fascinating career journeys should be of interest to all members, irrespective of age or gender.

As I write this, Heart of Midlothian FC (better known as Hearts) are in the unfamiliar position of being top of the Scottish Premiership. The football club’s Honorary President, Ann Budge OBE, talks to us about her business journey, which includes turning the club around, both on and off the pitch, and the sexism she overcame in doing so.

Fiona Bennett CA, who oversees a budget of £21bn as Interim CFO of NHS Scotland, explains why having a psychology degree has proved beneficial. Fiona was also one of our CA Rising Stars 2025 – and we have a final call for you to submit your nominations for this year’s contest. Remember, you are free to nominate as many CAs as you like – including yourself – so long as they are all aged 35 or under.

On the Obituaries page, we remember the incredible life and career of Ruby Tint Barton CA, who overcame a series of extraordinary challenges, from war to prejudice, in her time.

And we have Francesca Van der Byl CA, who proves the maxim “if at first you don’t succeed….” Francesca is now an AI Product Manager with KPMG. And no, AI isn’t going to replace accountants, she says.

There is now, however, mass adoption of this rapidly advancing technology across all sectors, not just accounting. We feature a special preview of the latest Shaping the Profession report, which explains why professional judgement is vital for anyone using AI.

In our ongoing series looking at the work of our various boards, panels and committees, we talk to members of the ICAS Business Policy Panel and hear how it represents the interest of SMEs and helps shape ICAS policy positions.

Growing our role and influence in both business and politics is one of our key objectives. President Karen Scholes CA looks back at our recent successful event at the Scottish Parliament, where one of the issues that came up was that MSPs overseeing huge budgets don’t always have the financial expertise to help them make sense of the numbers.

One former MSP who had both the political and financial nous to become a hugely successful and well-loved figure was Lord Jim Wallace. Sadly, he passed away in February, and we have a special tribute to a figure who will be much missed at ICAS and beyond.

We have a different kind of farewell from Bruce Cartwright CA, who pens his final column as our CEO for this magazine. He recalls how an impromptu reorganisation of the kitchen changed the course of his career and, in turn, ICAS.

I speak for everyone here in thanking Bruce for all the work he has done in helping to transform us into a professional body that is not beholden to its rich history, but one looking forward to its exciting future.

Sarah Chisnall, Editor in Chief
linkedin.com/in/sarah-chisnall

Learn more about the new ICAS Women’s Network