Inside ICAS: The Office Bearers' top talking points from November 2021
Catch up with your Office Bearer team and their top talking points from another busy month at ICAS.
President Bruce Pritchard CA, Deputy President Indy Hothi CA, and Vice President Clive Bellingham CA highlight some of the key ICAS initiatives and activities they’ve been talking about during November.
Bruce’s top talking point
The financial support, mentoring and internships they provide help boost social mobility and expand the pipeline of talent into the profession.
Bruce Pritchard CA, ICAS President
"The Annual Renewal process for 2022 ICAS membership opened earlier in November. As ever it’s the time for Members to maintain their all-important CA status and their connection to ICAS’ services and support. And as with previous years, Annual Renewal is also a chance for Members to give something back by donating to two charities that are essential to the profession. ICAS Foundation helps academically talented young people facing economic and social barriers to higher education, such as low household income or challenging family circumstances. Their financial support, mentoring and internships help boost social mobility and expand the pipeline of talent into the profession. The other key charity is the Scottish Chartered Accountants’ Benevolent Association (SCABA). For over 100 years SCABA has been assisting CAs and their dependants during times of financial hardship and ill-health – support that’s perhaps needed now more than ever."
You can learn more here or complete your Annual Renewal and select from the charity donation options towards the end of the form.
Indy’s top talking point
...it’s essential that commitments are now turned from talk into concrete actions.
Indy Hothi CA, ICAS Deputy President
“During November all eyes were on Scotland – and Glasgow in particular – as it played host to the COP26 climate conference. The event focused minds for a few weeks but for ICAS itself the focus on sustainability has been evident throughout the year. There was a great deal of activity, thoughtful comment and positive action in the build up to COP, from our commitment to going net zero, to becoming the first accountancy institute in the world to sign up to HRH The Prince of Wales’ ‘Terra Carta’, to championing the CAs who are leading the sustainable way within their own organisations. Back to COP and now that the delegates, prime ministers and presidents have flown home, what will the agreements reached mean for the future of business, finance and the planet itself? A recent article from Anne Adrain, Head of Sustainability and Reporting, neatly summarised the main takeaways, ICAS’ response and the notion that for COP26 to have a lasting legacy it’s essential that commitments are now turned from talk into concrete actions."
Clive’s top talking point
…it creates a better environment and, as a direct result, drives better business outcomes.
Clive Bellingham CA, ICAS Vice President
“I’ve long been a champion of EDI and working inclusively, not just for the essential moral imperatives, but for reasons of good business sense too. I was therefore delighted to be asked to join Tracey Rob Perera CA, Chair of the ED&I Committee, Rhona Thomson CA, Executive Director at Morgan Stanley Fund Services, and ICAS CEO Bruce Cartwright CA for a round-table discussion that explored the concept of inclusive leadership. Most of us work together in teams, and so inclusive leadership is a topic that touches us all, whether we’re the ones with the responsibility for actually leading those teams or not. During our chat we revealed simple, practical examples that illustrate how inclusive leadership can be used on a day-to-day basis, how it creates a better environment and, as a direct result, drives better business outcomes. We also discussed how the digital tools that enabled us to continue operating during the pandemic lockdowns have also helped bring teams together and provided opportunities for more inclusive working."
If you missed the live discussion you can watch the recording here.
What else has got us talking
CA magazine award nominations: CA magazine has been shortlisted for three honours at the PPA Scotland awards: Business Publication of the Year, Member Publication of the Year and Editor of the Year. The winners will be announced on 1 December.
Mental fitness: ICAS was represented at a wellbeing conference in London earlier in October by Janice Hutchinson, ICAS Director of Marketing, and Jonny Jacobs CA, Finance Director EMA, Starbucks. The conference was entitled ‘how to create a meaningful mental wellbeing programme’ and the pair spoke about the ICAS mental fitness strategy and the ability to drive change.
LinkedIn milestone: The ICAS LinkedIn account now has over 20,000 followers, an increase of 9,000 since the start of the year. LinkedIn has become the de facto online business networking tool and following the ICAS page is a great way to keep up to date with the latest industry and professional news and all that ICAS is doing to support its Members and Students. If you’re not doing so already, follow the ICAS account, and check out the new ICAS LinkedIn banners that have been designed to boost your personal brand and promote your professional credentials.
That’s all for this month’s round-up. Join us again in a few weeks to find out what else has got us talking.
Let's keep talking
- You can connect with Bruce Pritchard CA, ICAS President on LinkedIn.
- You can connect with Indy Hothi CA, ICAS Deputy President on LinkedIn.
- You can connect with Clive Bellingham CA, ICAS Vice President on LinkedIn.