ICAS practice community success at the Accounting Excellence Awards
We are delighted to congratulate several ICAS firms and members on their success at the Accounting Excellence Awards.
The Accounting Excellence Awards recognise and celebrate leading individuals, teams and firms in the profession who embody excellence. A staple in the accounting calendar for over a decade, the prestigious awards aim to showcase passion, ambition, and innovation within the UK accountancy industry.
The ICAS practice community were well represented at this year’s ceremony, with Scholes Chartered Accountants and Kennedy Accountancy taking home national awards in the ‘Mid-Tier Firm of the Year’ and ‘New Firm of the Year’ categories. Simon Cowie CA was also named ‘Practice Leader of the Year’ in the individual awards.
Other ICAS firms who were shortlisted as finalists included VE Medical Accountant in the ‘New Firm of the Year’ category, Johnston Carmichael in the ‘Digital Transformation’ category, and de Jong Phillips in the ‘Small Firm of the Year (South of England)’ category.
Jeremy Clarke CA, Assistant Director of Practice at ICAS, was selected as part of the judging panel for the ‘Small Firm’ category. On his experience as a judge, Jeremy said: “We had so many entries that we had to create four regional categories, as well as choose an overall UK winner. It was heartening to see the achievements of so many vibrant and thriving accountancy and bookkeeping firms. Congratulations to all the winners and finalists, particularly to the ICAS CAs and firms who picked up awards!”
Mid-Tier Firm of the Year – Scholes Chartered Accountants
Scholes Chartered Accountants, an accountancy and advisory firm specialising in renewables, construction and rural sectors, was recognised as the national ‘Mid-Tier Firm of the Year’. Director, Karen Scholes CA, has built on her father’s legacy, growing the business from a sole practitioner to an established firm. Karen is also actively involved with ICAS in her role as Vice President. Ivan Houston CA, who is also a director at the firm, has previously volunteered for the ICAS Foundation as a mentor for young people from disadvantaged backgrounds.
In a recent article on the firm’s website, Karen said: “It's great to see how all the finalists really demonstrated such innovation and dynamism. 2023 is a great time to work in a profession, which is undergoing so much transformation right now."
Read more about Karen’s priorities as ICAS Vice President in the July/August edition of CA magazine.
New Firm of the Year – Kennedy Accountancy
Kennedy Accountancy, a Kyle-based firm launched by Karen Kennedy CA, was awarded ‘New Firm of the Year’. Since opening its doors in 2020, the firm has aimed to provide a lifeline for businesses in the local community. The firm was also a finalist in the ‘Client Service Award (Small Firm)’ and ‘Sole Practitioner of the Year’ categories.
In a LinkedIn post, Karen said: “For everyone running a business in the Highlands and Islands - we are just as capable and able as the big boys in London and the rest of the UK. We just don’t always remember that or push ourselves forward. It’s the Highland way. But it’s okay to shout about ourselves and put ourselves out there.”
Discover how Karen is making accountancy cool in the December/January edition of CA magazine.
Practice Leader of the Year – Simon Cowie CA
Simon Cowie CA, Managing Director at Infinity Partnership, was named ‘Practice Leader of the Year’. This is the second year in a row that Simon has received this accolade, which is awarded to individuals who have made a visible impact or gone the extra mile for their clients, practice, or team.
In a LinkedIn post, Simon said “You’re only as good as your team and we have a great team at Infinity.”
