ICAS returns as partner of the Edinburgh Finance Festival 2026

AI is rewriting the rules. Sustainability is reshaping expectations. Ethical leadership is under the spotlight like never before. The finance profession isn’t just changing — it’s transforming at speed.

This is exactly why we’re hosting a conversation that cuts through the noise and focuses on what really matters: the skills every finance professional will need next. 

If you want to stay ahead of the curve — or help shape it — you’ll want to be part of this discussion. 

What is the Edinburgh Finance Festival? 

Running from 8–20 June 2026, the Edinburgh Finance Festival brings together finance professionals, policymakers, academics, and innovators from across Scotland and beyond. Now in its second year, the festival builds on a strong inaugural event that welcomed over 3,000 participants across 25 events. 

Edinburgh is the natural home for this conversation. Scotland's heritage in financial services, its growing reputation in sustainable finance, and its status as a global fintech hub make it a fitting setting for a festival of this ambition. 

Why ICAS is a partner 

Our involvement in the Edinburgh Finance Festival is a direct expression of our purpose: to uphold ethics and cultivate trust in everything we do. 

A strong economy depends on people who can make good decisions, act ethically and lead with confidence. Our role is to drive the economy through trust, education, and regulation; to support a global community of trusted decision makers; and to equip Chartered Accountants to shape the future economy. 

If you care about where finance is heading — and the skills that will shape it — this is a conversation worth joining. 

Our event: The future skills of the finance profession 

As part of the festival, we’re hosting a breakfast session that we think should be on every senior finance professional's calendar. 

Date: Wednesday 17 June 2026

Time: 08:30–11:15

Location: CA House, Edinburgh  

Register now

This is a panel discussion bringing together senior voices from across the sector to explore how the skills required of finance professionals are evolving — and what that means for individuals, employers, and educators alike. 

The panel will cover: 

• Society's expectations — what does the public want from accountants and what that demands of the profession 
• Technology and AI — and its accelerating impact on ethical leadership, professional judgement and the day-to-day role of the finance professional 
• Sustainability — what the transition to a net zero economy and how we measure our impacts means for the skills finance professionals need Education and talent — what training providers, employers, and professional bodies must do to prepare the next generation 

Whether you're leading a finance team, advising on strategy, working in education, or shaping policy then this session is designed for you. 

Why this matters? 

The question of what skills the profession needs is not a distant, academic one. It's being answered right now — in hiring decisions, in training programmes, in boardrooms, and in the policies that govern how accountants work. 

At ICAS, we have a responsibility to help shape those answers. Our 2030 strategy sets out an ambition to equip Chartered Accountants to lead at the forefront of an economy built on trust, integrity, and sustainability.  

Join us on 17 June 

Spaces are limited. If you want to be part of a genuinely important conversation about the future of the finance profession, we'd love to see you at CA House. 

Register now

ICAS is a partner of the Edinburgh Finance Festival 2026. The full festival programme runs 8–20 June 2026.

View all festival events here