A seat at the table
What exactly do Area Network Chairs get up to? Here, four of them explain what the role is all about and what the network can offer members and students
Interviews: Julie Burniston
A seat at the table
What exactly do Area Network Chairs get up to? Here, four of them explain what the role is all about and what the network can offer members and students
Interviews: Julie Burniston
With more than 24,000 ICAS members spanning industries and continents, the CA community is truly global. But some of its most valuable connections are made much closer to home.
ICAS Area Networks provide a local link to the wider organisation, bringing members and students together to share ideas, build professional connections and make their voices heard.
At the heart of each Network are volunteer committee members and Chairs who create opportunities to connect, learn and get involved, while supporting younger members and helping shape the future of the profession.
CA magazine spoke to four Area Network Chairs about what motivates them, the difference their events make, what they get back from being involved, and why it’s such a good way not only to meet and socialise with other CAs but also to expand your professional network.
Liam Guthrie CA, Finance Business Development Manager, M&G
Scotland West Area Network Co-Chair
I became Co-Chair of the Scotland West Area Network with Daniel Hughes (see below) in June 2026, and as far as we know, we’re the first Co-Chairs to lead any of the Area Network committees.
It’s a new way of doing things, but it felt like the right time to bring a stronger early-career voice to the table. I’d been on the committee for around two years, while the Chair role had been vacant for about a year. I’d had some feedback that we needed to get some structure in place to breathe some life back into the committee. That eventually led to the suggestion that Daniel and I should take it on together.
We’re still finding our feet, but I think we complement each other well. I’m the one who wants a plan, a plan for the plan and then to make sure it happens. Daniel is more chilled and is good at reminding me not to jump in too quickly!
For me, the role is a natural extension of why I joined the committee: I wanted to represent people earlier in their careers. I qualified in 2023 after a graduate programme with Standard Life, before joining M&G. I’ve also seen my team grow from two people to more than 20, so I know how valuable the right connections can be as your career develops.
That’s why engagement is such a big opportunity. The only way you’re going to get what you want out of it is if you put something into it. ICAS offers learning, connections and opportunities to shape membership, but you have to get involved.
Earlier in your career, you might know the people you work with and your university friends, but there’s a whole profession outside that circle. Meeting CAs from different firms, sectors and career stages can open up perspectives and connections you simply wouldn’t otherwise have.
The challenge for us is getting people through the door. Hybrid working means you can’t assume people are in the city centre, while turning up alone can also be daunting.
So Daniel and I want to think differently. I’d love to explore a dedicated early-career network across the different areas, perhaps built around interests such as sport, social activities or even some friendly competition.
Ultimately, we want to create something people genuinely want to be part of, rather than just another professional event in the diary. If we can do that, I think we can make a real difference.
Liam Guthrie CA, Finance Business Development Manager, M&G
Scotland West
Area Network Co-Chair
I became Co-Chair of the Scotland West Area Network with Daniel Hughes (see below) in June 2026, and as far as we know, we’re the first Co-Chairs to lead any of the Area Network committees.
It’s a new way of doing things, but it felt like the right time to bring a stronger early career voice to the table. I’d been on the committee for around two years, while the Chair role had been vacant for about a year. I’d had some feedback that we needed to get some structure in place to breathe some life back into the committee. That eventually led to the suggestion that Daniel and I should take it on together.
We’re still finding our feet, but I think we complement each other well. I’m the one who wants a plan, a plan for the plan and then to make sure it happens. Daniel is more chilled and is good at reminding me not to jump in too quickly!
For me, the role is a natural extension of why I joined the committee: I wanted to represent people earlier in their careers. I qualified in 2023 after a graduate programme with Standard Life, before joining M&G. I’ve also seen my team grow from two people to more than 20, so I know how valuable the right connections can be as your career develops.
That’s why engagement is such a big opportunity. The only way you’re going to get what you want out of it is if you put something into it. ICAS offers learning, connections and opportunities to shape membership, but you have to get involved.
Earlier in your career, you might know the people you work with and your university friends, but there’s a whole profession outside that circle. Meeting CAs from different firms, sectors and career stages can open up perspectives and connections you simply wouldn’t otherwise have.
The challenge for us is getting people through the door. Hybrid working means you can’t assume people are in the city centre, while turning up alone can also be daunting.
So Daniel and I want to think differently. I’d love to explore a dedicated early-career network across the different areas, perhaps built around interests such as sport, social activities or even some friendly competition.
Ultimately, we want to create something people genuinely want to be part of, rather than just another professional event in the diary. If we can do that, I think we can make a real difference.
Daniel Hughes CA, Executive, Strategy and Transactions, Ernst & Young
Scotland West Area Network Co-Chair
Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there. Walking into a room full of people you don’t know might not sound natural, but you never know who you’ll meet or where a conversation could take you.
That’s something I’ve come to appreciate through ICAS, and it’s why I became Co-Chair of the Scotland West Area Network. I want to help other CAs get those opportunities to learn, connect and look beyond their own firms.
I studied Accounting and Finance at the University of Glasgow before joining a small Glasgow practice, McLay, McAllister & McGibbon. As an ICAS-accredited firm, it gave me a brilliant grounding across audit, tax and accounts before I moved to EY. I started in audit, working on large-scale audits including listed companies, then moved into financial diligence.
I’d been on the Scotland West committee for around 18 months when the Co-Chair role came up. The position had been vacant, and Liam Guthrie and I were among the more active members. I’m happy to get involved when something needs doing, so I thought: Why not?’
Previously, I was more likely to listen and react; now I’m helping drive things forward, lead meetings and shape agendas.
What I enjoy most is bringing people together. Our events are deliberately relaxed – drinks, snacks and plenty of opportunity to chat. We hold roughly one Scotland West event each quarter, from informal socials to interesting briefings, and they’re free for ICAS members.
For students and newly qualified CAs, these events open up a world beyond their own firm. You meet people from different sectors and career stages, hear different perspectives and discover routes you may never have considered.
With hybrid working, face-to-face connection matters more than ever. When I was training, you were in the office or with a client five days a week; you developed confidence, communication skills and relationships without realising it.
So, my advice for anyone thinking about engaging with the Area Networks and attending their events is simple: give them a go. You might feel slightly out of your comfort zone the first time, but once you start recognising familiar faces it gets much easier. You never know when one of those conversations might turn into a valuable connection further down the line.
Daniel Hughes CA, Executive, Strategy and Transactions, Ernst & Young
Scotland West
Area Network Co-Chair
Sometimes you just have to put yourself out there. Walking into a room full of people you don’t know might not sound natural, but you never know who you’ll meet or where a conversation could take you.
That’s something I’ve come to appreciate through ICAS, and it’s why I became Co-Chair of the Scotland West Area Network. I want to help other CAs get those opportunities to learn, connect and look beyond their own firms.
I studied Accounting and Finance at the University of Glasgow before joining a small Glasgow practice, McLay, McAllister & McGibbon. As an ICAS-accredited firm, it gave me a brilliant grounding across audit, tax and accounts before I moved to EY. I started in audit, working on large-scale audits including listed companies, then moved into financial diligence.
I’d been on the Scotland West committee for around 18 months when the Co-Chair role came up. The position had been vacant, and Liam Guthrie and I were among the more active members. I’m happy to get involved when something needs doing, so I thought: Why not?’
Previously, I was more likely to listen and react; now I’m helping drive things forward, lead meetings and shape agendas.
What I enjoy most is bringing people together. Our events are deliberately relaxed – drinks, snacks and plenty of opportunity to chat. We hold roughly one Scotland West event each quarter, from informal socials to interesting briefings, and they’re free for ICAS members.
For students and newly qualified CAs, these events open up a world beyond their own firm. You meet people from different sectors and career stages, hear different perspectives and discover routes you may never have considered.
With hybrid working, face-to-face connection matters more than ever. When I was training, you were in the office or with a client five days a week; you developed confidence, communication skills and relationships without realising it.
So, my advice for anyone thinking about engaging with the Area Networks and attending their events is simple: give them a go. You might feel slightly out of your comfort zone the first time, but once you start recognising familiar faces it gets much easier. You never know when one of those conversations might turn into a valuable connection further down the line.
Chris Campbell CA, Technical Officer, Association of Taxation Technicians
Highlands Area Network Chair
I’ve been wearing my ICAS hat for quite a few years, and now I’ve put it back on as Chair of the Highlands Area Network.
Since qualifying as a CA in 2008, I’ve spent my career in the local area. I served my training contract with Anderson Anderson (now AAB) in Aberdeen, after graduating with a first-class honours degree in Accounting and Finance from Robert Gordon University. I then spent 14-and-a-half years with Johnston Carmichael, completing my Chartered Tax Adviser exams, before joining ICAS as Head of Tax (Tax Practice and Owner Managed Business Taxes). After almost three years there, I moved to the Association of Taxation Technicians in May 2025, where I’m now a Technical Officer.
When I first qualified, the local Area Network dinner was a big part of the calendar. I went along to various other events too and loved meeting people working in both practice and industry – some I’d trained with, others who had been CAs for much longer.
I’m keen to pass that experience on by encouraging people to get involved at an earlier stage of their career. I was particularly pleased to join the first meeting of a new group of CA students based in the Highlands, talking about what the Network offers, listening to their ideas about future events and encouraging them to start building connections before they qualify.
For me, the diversity of the member base remains one of the Network’s biggest strengths. Until around four years ago, I’d only worked in practice and more recently a charity, so meeting members working in industry and other sectors has broadened my horizons enormously.
Since becoming Chair in the spring, my vision has been for the Area Network to be a voice for ICAS members and students throughout the Highland area, giving opportunities for everyone to be involved regardless of where they are based. Popular events will remain a staple, but I am pleased that one of the early changes has been to hold a hybrid event in collaboration with the University of the Highlands and Islands, making it easier for members to get involved across such a large geographical area.
Part of my vision for the Network is to find ways to showcase the profession and encourage the next generation of CAs in the Highlands. I’m very enthusiastic about plans to hold a careers event for those interested in training to be a CA, so they can see how accountancy could be a rewarding career for them to pursue.
My aim for the Network is to offer a good mix of useful CPD and social events, giving people the chance to meet fellow CAs and build relationships. I’d particularly like newcomers to come along, meet someone and make a connection they might not otherwise have made.
I also think the Network can help develop skills beyond the technical. I’m comfortable speaking to people and getting involved at events, but as technology and AI continue to change the profession, communication and other soft skills are becoming just as important as technical and analytical ability.
And AI has already given me an idea for a future event: what does it actually mean to be a CA in the Highlands? I’ll be taking that one back to the committee!
Chris Campbell CA, Technical Officer, Association of Taxation Technicians
Highlands
Area Network Chair
I’ve been wearing my ICAS hat for quite a few years, and now I’ve put it back on as Chair of the Highlands Area Network.
Since qualifying as a CA in 2008, I’ve spent my career in the local area. I served my training contract with Anderson Anderson (now AAB) in Aberdeen, after graduating with a first-class honours degree in Accounting and Finance from Robert Gordon University. I then spent 14-and-a-half years with Johnston Carmichael, completing my Chartered Tax Adviser exams, before joining ICAS as Head of Tax (Tax Practice and Owner Managed Business Taxes). After almost three years there, I moved to the Association of Taxation Technicians in May 2025, where I’m now a Technical Officer.
When I first qualified, the local Area Network dinner was a big part of the calendar. I went along to various other events too and loved meeting people working in both practice and industry – some I’d trained with, others who had been CAs for much longer.
I’m keen to pass that experience on by encouraging people to get involved at an earlier stage of their career. I was particularly pleased to join the first meeting of a new group of CA students based in the Highlands, talking about what the Network offers, listening to their ideas about future events and encouraging them to start building connections before they qualify.
For me, the diversity of the member base remains one of the Network’s biggest strengths. Until around four years ago, I’d only worked in practice and more recently a charity, so meeting members working in industry and other sectors has broadened my horizons enormously.
Since becoming Chair in the Spring, my vision has been for the Area Network to be a voice for ICAS members and students throughout the Highland area, giving opportunities for everyone to be involved regardless of where they are based. Popular events will remain a staple, but I am pleased that one of the early changes has been to hold a hybrid event in collaboration with the University of the Highlands and Islands, making it easier for members to get involved across such a large geographical area.
Part of my vision for the Network is to find ways to showcase the profession and encourage the next generation of CAs in the Highlands. I’m very enthusiastic about plans to hold a careers event for those interested in training to be a CA, so they can see how accountancy could be a rewarding career for them to pursue.
My aim for the Network is to offer a good mix of useful CPD and social events, giving people the chance to meet fellow CAs and build relationships. I’d particularly like newcomers to come along, meet someone and make a connection they might not otherwise have made.
I also think the Network can help develop skills beyond the technical. I’m comfortable speaking to people and getting involved at events, but as technology and AI continue to change the profession, communication and other soft skills are becoming just as important as technical and analytical ability.
And AI has already given me an idea for a future event: what does it actually mean to be a CA in the Highlands? I’ll be taking that one back to the committee!
Kris Keane CA, Managing Director, Teneo
Scotland East Area Network Chair
For me, being Chair isn’t about simply holding the position, it’s about making a difference while I’m in it and leaving the Network in good shape when I go. I’m now into my second term, with three years still to run, and I’m thinking about how we keep the Network relevant and welcoming, bring in people who might not traditionally get involved and make sure there’s someone ready to take the reins.
I first got involved with the Area Network after going along to a dinner early in my career. We were moving between courses, carrying our wine glasses and cutlery with us, when I got talking to the Chair. He mentioned they were looking for committee members and I thought: Why not?
Our Burns supper and summer barbecue have become fixtures, each attracting around 80 people. We hold them at Grange Cricket Club in Stockbridge – an Edinburgh institution and very homely, perfect for us. The Burns supper costs around £30 a head rather than £150 at a city centre hotel.
I’m keen on value for money. I suppose that’s the frugal Scot in me!
I’ve seen how Network relationships build confidence and broaden career horizons. My own confidence in public speaking has benefited over the years through doing it more often in what feels like a safe environment, surrounded by other CAs.
We’ve also tried to broaden what we offer, while supporting ICAS events across the region. The aim is to reach people who haven’t traditionally engaged and offer them something they can’t necessarily get through their own firms. There are three Scotland East events a year as a baseline, so there is the Burns supper and barbecue (around £10), with a free event in quarter three or four.
Scotland East covers a large area and can naturally become quite Edinburgh-centric, with many of the Network living and working there, but I’d like to engage more people in the Borders, Dundee and Fife. We’ve discovered that many members share a healthy appetite for golf, spanning across the Network’s geography, with 70 Network members so far expressing interest. I’d love to turn that into a Scottish CA golf competition or some Network vs Network matches. That could be a pretty good achievement to leave behind, even if I’m only there for the golf and the banter as I won’t be winning any prizes!
Register your interest in the CA Golfers Society
Interested in joining a Scottish CA golfers society or taking part in golf matches? If this sounds like something you or someone you know would like to get involved in, please take a moment to fill in the short form linked below and register your interest so that we can keep you updated
Share your details here
Kris Keane CA, Managing Director, Teneo
Scotland East Area Network Chair
For me, being Chair isn’t about simply holding the position, it’s about making a difference while I’m in it and leaving the Network in good shape when I go. I’m now into my second term, with three years still to run, and I’m thinking about how we keep the Network relevant and welcoming, bring in people who might not traditionally get involved and make sure there’s someone ready to take the reins.
I first got involved with the Area Network after going along to a dinner early in my career. We were moving between courses, carrying our wine glasses and cutlery with us, when I got talking to the Chair. He mentioned they were looking for committee members and I thought: ‘Why not?’
Our Burns supper and summer barbecue have become fixtures, each attracting around 80 people. We hold them at Grange Cricket Club in Stockbridge – an Edinburgh institution and very homely, perfect for us. The Burns supper costs around £30 a head rather than £150 at a city centre hotel.
I’m keen on value for money. I suppose that’s the frugal Scot in me!
I’ve seen how Network relationships build confidence and broaden career horizons. My own confidence in public speaking has benefited over the years through doing it more often in what feels like a safe environment, surrounded by other CAs.
We’ve also tried to broaden what we offer, while supporting ICAS events across the region. The aim is to reach people who haven’t traditionally engaged and offer them something they can’t necessarily get through their own firms. There are three Scotland East events a year as a baseline, so there is the Burns supper and barbecue (around £10), with a free event in quarter three or four.
Scotland East covers a large area and can naturally become quite Edinburgh-centric, with many of the Network living and working there, but I’d like to engage more people in the Borders, Dundee and Fife. We’ve discovered that many members share a healthy appetite for golf, spanning across the Network’s geography, with 70 Network members so far expressing interest. I’d love to turn that into a Scottish CA golf competition or some Network vs Network matches. That could be a pretty good achievement to leave behind, even if I’m only there for the golf and the banter as I won’t be winning any prizes!
Register your interest in the CA Golfers Society
Interested in joining a Scottish CA golfers society or taking part in golf matches? If this sounds like something you or someone you know would like to get involved in, please take a moment to fill in the short form linked below and register your interest so that we can keep you updated.
Share your details here
Learn more about all the ICAS Area Networks and how to join
Built with Shorthand