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

The Members Board meeting held on 19 November 2025 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:

Updates from Board Members 

Sarah Speirs, Executive Director - Engagement & Advocacy provided updates from other groups and committees across ICAS. 

• AI and Tech working group - A comprehensive update on the AI and Tech Working Group was provided, covering content and member training, an update on internal AI adoption, and findings from a Chartered Accountants Worldwide AI study. 
• EDI Committee - Sarah summarised the EDI Committee’s recent activities, including an overview of the 3M research, and a review of year 2 of the EDI strategy, including gender diversity progress.  It was highlighted that the well-being support platform is now available to all members and their family, with an increase in usage noted. 

Public Affairs, Communications and PR 

Sarah Chisnall, Director of Public Affairs, delivered a detailed report on ICAS’s public affairs, communications and PR activities, including increased media coverage, improved website and email engagement, and strategies for influencing policymakers and enhancing the organisation’s profile. Highlights from this update included an increase of digital readership for CA magazine, and a significant rise in media coverage, following the move to bring ICAS’s PR in-house. 

Members Board workplan for 2026 

During this section, Sarah Speirs returned, covering progress on the Member Engagement and Value strategy, providing updates on social mobility initiatives, networking developments, technical content improvements and more. The update reviewed various activities from across the year, and highlighted several achievements and successes, including 13 successful RISE visits to schools, and the development of new member groups including the Black Members Network and the CA Women’s Network. 

The next Members Board meeting is on 25 March 2026.