Major contributors to the British accountancy profession: A biographical sourcebook (2012)

As the accountancy profession continues to evolve it is important to look back and see how and why the profession is where it is today and recognise the significance of the individuals who contributed to its development and who have helped make the profession what it is today.

The individuals profiled in this book include amongst others academics, partners in audit firms, accountants in business and employees of professional bodies. 

The principal criterion for inclusion of the individuals in this book is that they performed leadership roles in professional bodies, in the accounting literature or in government service – regardless of whether they were qualified accountants or even whether they were Britons.

The 20th century saw significant change in the profession with the growth of leading accountancy firms, an expansion of the role of accountants in industry, the growth of accounting academe, the emergence of standard setting and the enshrinement of the ‘true and fair view’ in company law.

The biographies in this book highlight some of the roles played by these individuals in these events.