Inside ICAS: March 2023’s top talking points
Your Office Bearer team review their top talking points from March, including the lessons we can learn from International Women’s Day and celebrating the next generation of CAs in our 2023 Admission Ceremony.
ICAS President Indy Singh Hothi CA joins Deputy President Clive Bellingham CA and Vice President Alison Cornwell CA to highlight some of the key ICAS initiatives and activities discussed during March.
Indy’s top talking point
This is an important reminder to ask ourselves whether we are doing enough to boost the confidence of our colleagues and celebrate pivotal female figures.
Indy Singh Hothi CA, ICAS President
"Every year International Women’s Day takes place on 8 March. This day is dedicated to amplifying the voices of pivotal female figures and issues affecting women globally.
ICAS joined forces with The Chartered Accountants Worldwide ED&I taskforce on a new global report identifying the key to fostering female ambition in the profession.
The survey shows us that there is still work to do within the profession to both attract and retain female talent. This is a timely and important piece highlighting some key opportunities to help women progress in their careers.
One way we can all help is to sign up as mentors. 67% of those surveyed said that they would love a mentor to support and guide them. If you could spare some time to be a mentor to a fellow colleague I’d encourage you to do so."
Read the full report on our website.
Clive’s top talking point
Welcoming over two hundred newly qualified colleagues to our profession at our annual Admission Ceremony was an incredible honour.
Clive Bellingham CA, ICAS Deputy President
"Being able to attend the ICAS Admission Ceremony is a personal highlight for me. For our newly qualified colleagues, it’s a day filled with recognising their hard work and welcoming them to our profession.
What really struck me from the Admissions Ceremony, was the palpable collective sense of optimism and call for change in our profession.
Each newly qualified CA has the power to implement change (small and big) that will better the accounting profession. This means championing and supporting others wherever we possibly can, embedding sustainable practices and doing the right thing.
Congratulations to all our newly qualified CAs. We recognise the huge amount of work, energy and dedication which goes towards obtaining this achievement. Here’s to our future CAs, we look forward to working with you and seeing how you help to shape our profession.”
Read more about our 2023 Admission Ceremony here.
Alison’s top talking point
Tackling sustainability issues and reaching net zero needs to move up the agenda.
Alison Cornwell CA, ICAS Vice President
"Earlier this month the Chancellor unveiled the 2023 Spring Budget.
Although there are some positives within the allocation of the Spring Budget spend, there’s been a missed opportunity to address net zero and urgent climate issues.
Our Chief Executive, Bruce Cartwright CA, highlighted the lack of resources allocated towards critical sustainability matters in his response to the Spring Budget announcement: “The Chancellor said lots on energy security and nuclear power but missed the opportunity to do more on net zero and produce any kind of road map for the future. We know that this is a huge priority for our members, and for businesses across the UK. How much longer can we afford to wait?”
As Clive mentions in his Admission Ceremony summary, the future of our profession has a great opportunity to embed change and make the world a better place for further generations. I believe that this is something to feel optimistic about. Despite the lack of mention within the Spring Budget, as CAs we play a crucial part in driving sustainability forward.
Sustainability reporting is a powerful and influential tool for evidencing the need to embedding green practices in our organisations. This is something that Carol Adams CA, Professor of Accounting, Durham University, and Indy highlights in our latest podcast episode. I’d encourage you to spare 15 minutes to listen to it."
Read our response to the Spring Budget on our website.
- You can connect with Indy Singh Hothi CA, ICAS President on LinkedIn.
- You can connect with Clive Bellingham CA, ICAS Deputy President on LinkedIn.
- You can connect with Alison Cornwell CA, ICAS Vice President on LinkedIn.