What’s on the agenda? Highlights from Members Board June 2025

The recent Members Board meeting was filled with key updates and meaningful discussions aimed at shaping and improving the member engagement work at ICAS.

Here’s a snapshot of the key highlights:

Welcoming new leaders

Karen Scholes CA, as the new ICAS President, joined the meeting as a guest and shared her vision for her year in office. This includes promoting the new learning syllabus, integrating AI into education, supporting sustainability, improving member engagement and backing the ICAS Foundation. Her ambitious themes aim to enhance the value ICAS provides to its members.

AGM insights and farewells

Key outcomes from the AGM included the approval of a lifetime subscription starting January 2027 - which was highlighted as a significant decision influenced by Members Board.

Additionally, heartfelt farewells were extended to departing Board members, Sobhan Afzal CA, Lucas Alexander-Crichton CA and Dougie Hawkins CA, whose contributions were acknowledged with gratitude.

Focus on learning transformation

Gail Boag, ICAS Executive Director of Learning & Market Development led a session with the Board on the revamped syllabus featuring digital-first content, sustainability, ethics, leadership, and AI integration.

The new Advantage platform promises an enriched learning experience for students, streamlining processes and boosting engagement. Board members had the opportunity to comment and raise questions on the student learning experience.

Sustainability and policy updates

David Wilson CA provided an update from the Sustainability Committee highlighting the importance of influencing policy while maintaining strong relationships with standard-setters. Board members acknowledged that regular updates on sustainability and emerging business issues, alongside ICAS’ policy work enhance member value and engagement. The Board discussed ways to improve communication and engagement for members on important policy matters.

Social mobility and ICAS Foundation

The ICAS Foundation spotlighted its achievements in supporting students from low-income backgrounds. The focus of the session was to discuss and identify tangible actions to progress the Foundations aims to increase awareness, member volunteers, and donations to further the charity’s impact. Exciting initiatives, like partnerships with firms and publicising student success stories, are in the pipeline.

Shaping the Profession

Breakout discussions explored the evolving role of accountancy in the era of AI, ethics, and complex regulations. Members emphasised the profession’s accountability, trustworthiness, and adaptability in a changing landscape. The outputs from the Board’s discussions will be added in the Shaping the Profession work.

With strong leadership and focused initiatives, the Board continues to work with ICAS colleagues to shape and challenge engagement activity aimed at providing the best value for members.

The next Members Board meeting is on 17 September 2025.