FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
FOR THE RECORD
Member information and updates from ICAS
Conquer fear and move ahead at work
What would your career look like if you had the courage to make the next move?
Our CA Women’s Network is holding a free online event aimed at helping you overcome your fears, with a range of guest speakers who will share the pivotal moments in their working life, from the doubts they faced to the risks they took.
On the agenda will be embracing change and pursuing a new direction, finding the confidence to make a move, challenging self-doubt and recognising your value, using transferable strengths to unlock new opportunities and what the speakers wish they had known sooner.
Whether you’re navigating the next step in your career or just thinking about the possibilities, join us for what promises to be an inspiring online conversation, packed with candid stories and practical insights.
Learn more about the event and book your place
Conquer fear and move ahead at work
What would your career look like if you had the courage to make the next move?
Our CA Women’s Network is holding a free online event aimed at helping you overcome your fears, with a range of guest speakers who will share the pivotal moments in their working life, from the doubts they faced to the risks they took.
On the agenda will be embracing change and pursuing a new direction, finding the confidence to make a move, challenging self-doubt and recognising your value, using transferable strengths to unlock new opportunities and what the speakers wish they had known sooner.
Whether you’re navigating the next step in your career or just thinking about the possibilities, join us for what promises to be an inspiring online conversation, packed with candid stories and practical insights.
Learn more about the event and book your place
Don’t miss the 2027 Admission Ceremony
The Admission Ceremony is one of the highlights of the ICAS calendar, bringing together our newest CAs with their friends and family to celebrate everything they’ve achieved in becoming Chartered Accountants.
On Saturday 13 March, we’ll welcome our newest CAs to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre to celebrate their admission to ICAS membership and welcome them to our global network of over 24,000 members. The ceremony will feature inspiring speakers, the formal admission ceremony and plenty of time to celebrate with guests and fellow CAs.
As part of the ceremony, our newest CAs will take the ICAS Oath, marking their commitment to the values of the profession and the role they will play in building an economy of trust.
If you were admitted, or are due to be admitted between Friday 27 March 2026 and Friday 26 February 2027, you’re eligible to attend the 2027 Admission Ceremony. Join us to celebrate your achievement in becoming a Chartered Accountant and your admission to professional membership.
Book your place now for the 2027 Admission Ceremony
Don’t miss the 2027 Admission Ceremony
The Admission Ceremony is one of the highlights of the ICAS calendar, bringing together our newest CAs with their friends and family to celebrate everything they’ve achieved in becoming Chartered Accountants.
On Saturday 13 March, we’ll welcome our newest CAs to the Edinburgh International Conference Centre to celebrate their admission to ICAS membership and welcome them to our global network of over 24,000 members. The ceremony will feature inspiring speakers, the formal admission ceremony and plenty of time to celebrate with guests and fellow CAs.
As part of the ceremony, our newest CAs will take the ICAS Oath, marking their commitment to the values of the profession and the role they will play in building an economy of trust.
If you were admitted, or are due to be admitted between Friday 27 March 2026 and Friday 26 February 2027, you’re eligible to attend the 2027 Admission Ceremony. Join us to celebrate your achievement in becoming a Chartered Accountant and your admission to professional membership.
Book your place now for the 2027 Admission Ceremony
Investing in your career and the profession
Your annual membership renewal opens this month.
For nearly two centuries, CAs have shaped business, public life and society. As annual renewal opens, we reflect on what those two letters stand for today, and why they matter more than ever.
ICAS was founded by people who looked beyond convention. They challenged accepted ways of working, set new professional standards and helped society move forward. That pioneering spirit still lives in every CA who leads with judgement, integrity and courage.
The letters after your name are more than a mark of achievement. They connect you to a legacy of trust, a global community of CAs and a profession whose influence is felt every day in boardrooms, businesses, public institutions and communities around the world.
In a climate shaped by rapid technological change, economic uncertainty and changing expectations of business, CAs continue to bring clarity to complex decisions, influence policy, uphold standards and help organisations make better choices. Trusted professional judgement remains as important today as it has ever been.
Renewing your membership helps you maintain the professional recognition you have earned and stay connected to the support, insight and community that can help you throughout your career.
As a member, you continue to benefit from:
• Expert technical guidance and support
• CPD, courses, conferences and events
• Professional resources and insights
• Local and global member networks
• Opportunities to help shape the future of the profession
• Representation and advocacy on issues that matter to CAs
Whether you are building your career, leading an organisation or enjoying retirement, ICAS is here to support you wherever you are in the world.
In September, we announced changes to our membership fee structure for 2027. The new structure is designed to better reflect modern working patterns and support members at every stage of their careers. It introduces a clearer and more flexible approach to subscriptions, including a simpler route into retirement while retaining access to key membership benefits.
You can find full details of the 2027 fee structure, eligibility information and frequently asked questions on the renewal information page.
Join now and continue to access the insight, support and global community that help you stay connected, confident and ahead.
Visit the renewal information page to review your membership category, check your subscription details and complete your renewal
Investing in your career and the profession
Your annual membership renewal opens this month.
For nearly two centuries, CAs have shaped business, public life and society. As annual renewal opens, we reflect on what those two letters stand for today, and why they matter more than ever.
ICAS was founded by people who looked beyond convention. They challenged accepted ways of working, set new professional standards and helped society move forward. That pioneering spirit still lives in every CA who leads with judgement, integrity and courage.
The letters after your name are more than a mark of achievement. They connect you to a legacy of trust, a global community of CAs and a profession whose influence is felt every day in boardrooms, businesses, public institutions and communities around the world.
In a climate shaped by rapid technological change, economic uncertainty and changing expectations of business, CAs continue to bring clarity to complex decisions, influence policy, uphold standards and help organisations make better choices. Trusted professional judgement remains as important today as it has ever been.
Renewing your membership helps you maintain the professional recognition you have earned and stay connected to the support, insight and community that can help you throughout your career.
As a member, you continue to benefit from:
• Expert technical guidance and support
• CPD, courses, conferences and events
• Professional resources and insights
• Local and global member networks
• Opportunities to help shape the future of the profession
• Representation and advocacy on issues that matter to CAs
Whether you are building your career, leading an organisation or enjoying retirement, ICAS is here to support you wherever you are in the world.
In September, we announced changes to our membership fee structure for 2027. The new structure is designed to better reflect modern working patterns and support members at every stage of their careers. It introduces a clearer and more flexible approach to subscriptions, including a simpler route into retirement while retaining access to key membership benefits.
You can find full details of the 2027 fee structure, eligibility information and frequently asked questions on the renewal information page.
Join now and continue to access the insight, support and global community that help you stay connected, confident and ahead.
Visit the renewal information page to review your membership category, check your subscription details and complete your renewal
Celebrate Burns Night across the globe
You don’t have to be in Scotland to celebrate Burns Night as two very different ICAS events prove – one being held in London and one in Sydney.
Our London Area Network event, at Colours Hoxton on 27 January, is a Burns Night-inspired quiz evening, with brain-teasing questions for teams of four to six and Scottish-themed snacks and drinks.
Teams can compete for a bar voucher and it doesn’t matter if you are coming on your own or in a smaller group as we’ll create mixed teams on the night.
Meanwhile, in Sydney, we’ll be hosting a belated Burns Night celebration at the Dockside Group, on the shores of the harbour, on 26 February.
A live band and ceilidh will follow drinks, canapés and a two-course meal, offering guests the chance to dance the night away to live music from a traditional Scottish band. There will also be the traditional Address to a Haggis and unlimited drinks throughout the evening.
Both events promise to be nights to remember and offer great opportunities to catch up with peers and make new professional connections.
ScanSnap scanners: Driving digital efficiency for accounting professionals
As accounting firms continue to adapt to digital record-keeping requirements and increasing client expectations, Ricoh has partnered with ICAS to provide members with practical tools that simplify paper to digital processes and ways of working and improves productivity. Through their ScanSnap scanner range they can help accountants convert paper-based information into searchable, secure digital records quickly and efficiently.
Many accountants still receive receipts, invoices and supporting documentation in paper format, creating administrative challenges and consuming valuable time. ScanSnap scanners enable these documents to be digitised at the touch of a button, making them easier to organise, access and integrate into accounting workflows and cloud-based systems while adhering to the latest MTD deadlines.
For ICAS members, the benefits go beyond efficiency. ScanSnap supports compliance with digital record-keeping requirements, reduces manual data handling and helps firms deliver a faster, more responsive service to clients. Whether supporting sole practitioners or larger accountancy firms, the technology allows professionals to spend less time processing paperwork and more time focused on providing strategic advice.
Promoted through CA Magazine and the ICAS member rewards programme, Ricoh’s ScanSnap offering is tailored to the needs of the accountancy profession, helping members embrace digital transformation while improving productivity, accuracy and sustainability.
London Retired Members’ Group
The London Retired Members’ Group is the only group of its kind for CAs. The organisation holds quarterly get-togethers for retired and semi-retired CAs across the capital and the south-east.
Meetings alternate between meals and outings to notable venues – and this year’s trips have included visits to the Guildhall Art Gallery, the Bank of England and the London Roman Amphitheatre. We are currently planning our next event, which will take place in January.
Anyone who wishes to join, or simply find out more, should email alanbegg@hotmail.com
London Retired Members’ Group
The London Retired Members’ Group is the only group of its kind for CAs. The organisation holds quarterly get-togethers for retired and semi-retired CAs across the capital and the south-east.
Meetings alternate between meals and outings to notable venues – and this year’s trips have included visits to the Guildhall Art Gallery, the Bank of England and the London Roman Amphitheatre. We are currently planning our next event, which will take place in January.
Anyone who wishes to join, or simply find out more, should email alanbegg@hotmail.com
Catherine Osborne CA,
Corporate Relationship Manager, Metro Bank
What attracted you to your current role?
I currently work in the corporate banking team at Metro Bank, focusing on sponsor-backed and leisure sector transactions, having transferred from the bank’s inward investment team last year and qualifying in banking and capital markets audit at EY. I really enjoy the relationship part of my role: supporting great businesses to grow despite the challenging economic conditions. It helps that my sector focus often means I work on transactions involving clients I have already taken up as a customer – looking at financials is always nicer when you’ve enjoyed a cocktail that makes up the revenue!
What part of your training with ICAS has helped you most in your career to date?
Getting chartered was important to me, as I wanted to satisfy the numeric part of my brain after studying foreign languages at university, and found the experience a great foundation in finance. In particular, I have found the commerciality I learned in the TPE (now Integration) assessment helpful in my current role, as being able to assess the viability of a business is crucial to underwriting.
What do you hope to achieve and learn in your role over the next year or so?
I hope to deepen my experience by working on a wider variety of transactions, with the goal of establishing my own portfolio of customers. I also hope to develop my managerial skills including negotiation, coaching and delivering feedback, to ensure the analytical skills gained in the early stage of my career are complemented by the necessary soft skills needed to own relationships.
What do you enjoy most about working in your company?
Metro Bank is a newer bank, hence it operates dynamically and without onerous hierarchy. This has allowed me to accelerate quickly, taking on technical transactions to strengthen my skills and operating as a pseudo relationship director for key client contacts. I have also recently become co-chair of the bank’s investing in women committee, helping to deliver annual requirements as an investing in women code signatory to UK finance and managing a committee of 12. I am thrilled that in my application for the role my managers viewed my ‘early stage’ of career as a strength rather than as an impediment – I attribute this to the fresh thinking which is encouraged at the bank.
What would you say to anyone else thinking about studying to become a CA?
The qualification is much more diverse than the perception of just double-entry bookkeeping and has been an invaluable foundation. It enables you to pivot to a variety of careers, and the credibility of the qualification is never underestimated. The exams teach you resourcefulness and perseverance, and the community you enter when you qualify is brilliant. ICAS puts on events, mentoring, networking sessions and webinars, and I continue to utilise the institute as I grow in my career.
Explore how ICAS connects CAs with mentoring opportunities
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