FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
New office bearers appointed
Alison Cornwell CA has been appointed as the new President of ICAS for 2024/25. Cornwell, who is also CFO of Vue International, was confirmed as President at the AGM on Friday 26 April. She takes over from Clive Bellingham CA and will serve a year in office.
Supporting her are Karen Scholes CA, who is the new Deputy President, and David Cruickshank CA, who has been appointed Vice President.
Commenting on her appointment, Cornwell said: “ICAS has been a leading voice in business and accountancy since 1854, so to represent the oldest financial institution in the world as its President is a huge honour. I am grateful to have the opportunity to give back to an organisation which has enabled me to pursue a fascinating and rewarding career, and it’s one of my goals during my presidential term to broaden the route of entry and attract more young people to the profession.
“The CA qualification is the gold standard which delivers way beyond its core syllabus – it creates the business leaders of tomorrow. I value the diversity of our membership, and that we behave with integrity and with the highest standards at heart.”
Scholes said: “I feel honoured to have been elected as Deputy President. As a member-led organisation I am most looking forward to continued engagement with our members and students. I am keen to communicate the 2030 strategy, including the changes to education, and our new flexible model for both students and employers. I will continue to promote and support the amazing work of the ICAS Foundation, which supports social mobility and ethnic and gender diversity in students studying accountancy and finance at university through mentoring, financial support and work experience opportunities.
“I look forward to working alongside Alison, our President, David, our Vice President, and the executive team, to ensure that, in our rapidly changing world, ICAS will continue to thrive.”
Cruickshank said: “The work of our profession is important to many stakeholders – the capital markets, businesses of all sizes, government and regulators and society at large. We deliver work required by statute and advice through whole business and individual lifecycles, and we do this in an ethical way which inspires confidence and trust. We provide outstanding technical training and new skills to future generations of ICAS professionals wherever they choose to make their careers. The business and professional environment is changing with a pace I have never seen in my 44-year career.
“In my own small way, and working with the other office bearers, Council and the executive leadership team, I will work hard for ICAS to be a leader in dealing with, and benefitting from, these changes for all of our stakeholders and future generations of members.”
Read the the election results in full
ICAS admissions hit record high
ICAS is celebrating a record year, with the highest number of annual admissions in its 170-year history. Nearly 850 CAs formally joined the profession at the annual admission ceremony in April.
Gail Boag, Executive Director of Learning at ICAS, said: “This year we have 843 newly qualified CAs and it is fantastic to see record numbers join the profession. The increase in admissions reaffirms the strength of the ICAS CA qualification and its appeal to a new generation of jobseekers and employers alike.”
Boag also paid tribute to the work of the ICAS Foundation, which supported 10 of this year’s intake. “Not only are we seeing record admissions, but we’re also seeing an increasing number of people enter the profession from a wider socio-economic background, thanks in no small part to the work being delivered by the ICAS Foundation,” she said.
The foundation plays a key role in widening the pipeline of talent by supporting young people through their studies and providing individualised support until they graduate. Newly qualified Eryn Paterson CA, KPMG Audit Assistant Manager, said: “The foundation has helped me in many ways throughout my journey, with financial and mentor support. When my studies became more demanding, the bursary allowed me to reduce my shifts at my part-time job and give as much to my studies as possible.”
President Clive Bellingham CA said: “As I told the newly qualified chartered accountants at our admission ceremony, the hard work they put into qualifying will deliver a truly rewarding career. The CA qualification has allowed me to travel the world, meet amazing people and deliver work that has made a difference. Our new CAs represent the business leaders of tomorrow and the CA qualification is their passport to success.”
Find out how to train a CA
Meet the President
At Aberdeen Art Gallery
Date: Thursday 13 June
Time: 18.30–20.30 BST
Location: Sculpture Court, Aberdeen Art Gallery, Schoolhill, Aberdeen AB10 1FQ
Free to attend, smart dress code
Event summary
Join our summer reception in the historic sculpture court of the Aberdeen Art Gallery to reconnect with ICAS members and expand your network with new connections. You’ll also hear directly from the new ICAS President, who’ll share details of their plans and priorities for the year ahead.
And to keep you refreshed on a warm summer evening (fingers crossed), we’ll be serving seasonal food and drinks.
This event is free for ICAS members. However, spaces are limited, so please register as soon as possible to reserve your place.
Pride Edinburgh march
We are looking for members and students to join us on 22 June at the Pride Edinburgh march. In 2023, for the first time, a small group of ICAS colleagues (and a dog!) took part in the march to celebrate diversity. This year we would love to extend the invitation. In future years, we hope to be represented in London, Glasgow and beyond.
To join ICAS at the Pride Edinburgh march, please email members@icas.com
Pike + Bambridge
At Pike + Bambridge our mission is to support your vehicle needs. Whether that’s a traditional vehicle or a move to cleaner, greener mobility with an EV, we are here to help.
What differentiates us is our professional background and approach, using our expertise to help make the leasing process simpler, faster and more personal.
We have a number of benefits exclusive to ICAS members:
· Detailed fact finds for ICAS members on whether your personal circumstances mean now is the right time to switch to an EV, or whether a traditional petrol or diesel suits you best.
· Access to unique offers on the latest vehicles negotiated with manufacturers on behalf of ICAS members.
· Our salary sacrifice service, specifically designed for partnerships and LLPs, offering the same expert, personal service when setting up your salary sacrifice scheme.
Access your special ICAS offers here
Emily Willis CA
Investor Relations Senior Analyst, GrowUp
What attracted you to your current role?
During my time in practice, I really enjoyed the client service part of my job and wanted to keep an external-facing element in any future role. The investor relations role here at GrowUp gives me a great opportunity to gain insight into (and attempt to become an expert in!) the vertical farming industry, and help with important internal financial decision-making while also being able to communicate the outcomes of our work to external investors.
Which part of your ICAS training has helped you most?
There hasn’t really been one specific part, rather a variety of elements from each of the exams have equipped me with the skills and technical knowledge to produce meaningful data analysis. I’ve also found I consistently draw on the skills honed at TPE [Test of Professional Expertise], particularly when presenting financial information to those who may not have a finance background.
What do you hope to achieve over the next year or so?
GrowUp is in an exciting phase at the moment – we’re gaining a real foothold in the pre-prepared salad market. I’m looking forward to helping the company make strategic decisions on how best to employ our funding to further our reach across supermarkets in the UK and produce our product in the most efficient manner. I’m also working closely with our impact team, looking at how we can make our processes as sustainable as possible – from choosing the correct type of seeds, all the way through to lower-carbon packaging.
Why did you join Scotland East area network and what have you gained from being involved?
When I qualified as a CA, I was keen to make sure I made the most of my membership – both professionally and personally. I love organising events and the ICAS area network allows me to do this while also meeting CAs from across both practice and industry – a fantastic way to expand my professional network.
What do you enjoy most about working for your company?
GrowUp is still in a scale-up phase and this makes it really exciting, financially and commercially. Every day is different and there are constantly new challenges. We’re also a B Corp, meaning the whole company is constantly striving to maintain a positive social and environmental impact for all stakeholders – everyone really cares and upholds the company values. That makes for a great workplace.
Are you a recently qualified CA, interested in appearing in this column? Email us at camagazine@therivergroup.co.uk
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