New ICAS insight series kicks off with Finance + Trust
Discover more about Finance + Trust, the first theme in ICAS’ new Finance+ insight series for 2022
Throughout the month of February, we will be bringing you thought leadership, insight and practical guidance around the theme of trust and ethics in our profession and beyond.
What is Finance+?
Throughout 2022, our Finance+ insight series will place a positive focus on the ways and means of achieving that better future. We’ll look through the lens of responsible leadership, sustainability and ethical business to take you beyond the traditional boundaries of finance.
A range of ICAS, industry and outside experts will help put you in the bigger picture, providing insights that will benefit you, your work and the wider world.
Guided by ICAS’ new strategic direction and feedback from our Members, we’ve centred Finance+ around the six key themes we think will present you with the most challenge and greatest opportunity in 2022: Trust, EDI, Mental Fitness, Technology, Leadership and Sustainability.
We’ll take time throughout the year to focus on each of the themes, exploring from different perspectives, to illuminate, inspire and offer practical solutions.
Finance + Trust – What can you expect?
Our Finance + Trust theme launched with the release of our February issue of CA magazine, our flagship thought leadership publication for CAs, which this month tackles the wider questions around trust, as well as laying out all the resources available from ICAS, including our newly launched Ethics Buddy Service.
More than ever, the CA will need to embody the role of trusted adviser.
In her editor’s letter, ICAS’ Executive Director of Member Engagement and Communications, Sarah Speir, underlined the importance of trust to the profession.
"Trust is at the heart of the CA qualification. Almost every stakeholder you can think of depends on accountancy in some way. Purchasing, retailing, investing, employment and production all rely on the provision of solid data and advice. Without CAs demonstrating that they are trustworthy professionals, whose driving goal is to represent matters fairly and accurately, the whole system begins to break apart.”
Strengthening trust in accountancy is a matter of priority for ICAS.
Trust was also on the agenda for ICAS President, Bruce Pritchard CA, who shared his views on how trust in accountancy can be strengthened.
“It’s not about repairing something fundamentally broken within accountancy, it’s about continuing to strive for higher standards of professional behaviour in business, especially as the profession comes under increased scrutiny. We must not let a few bad apples rot the entire barrel.”
Often, people caught in a dilemma struggle to see the wood for the trees.
Ann Buttery, ICAS’ Head of Ethics, explained how our new Ethics Buddy Service will help CAs navigate ethical dilemmas and also walked us through all the ethics resources already available to ICAS members, including our Ethics Helpline Service, The Power of One and access to the Protect whistleblowing hotline.
We also took a look at how working at a B-Corp changes the role of the CA, and what resources there are for Members at smaller firms facing ethical dilemmas.
Read the full February CA magazine
Beyond our CA magazine content, throughout February will be bringing you ICAS’ views on the future of trust, our responses to the latest with the IAASB and the EU Commission’s audit reform proposals, the third paper from our collaboration with CPA Canada - Identifying and mitigating bias and mis- and disinformation - as well as other relevant and timely content across the theme of trust and ethics.
All the content we share this month will be available to explore in our newly launched Finance + Trust section of icas.com.