Contact: James Igoe
Deloitte
Public Relations
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The Institute of Chartered Accountants Scotland today appointed Deloitte audit partner Isobel Sharp as its new President. Isobel officially took up the Presidency at the Institute’s Annual General Meeting held in Edinburgh where she set out her presidential theme of promoting professionalism.
John Connolly, Deloitte UK Senior Partner & Chief Executive said:
“We are delighted Isobel has been elected President of ICAS. With over 20 years in the accounting profession she will bring tremendous experience to the role at a time of exciting developments in the industry."
Speaking at the AGM, Sharp said:
“I become President at a time of great success for ICAS. Our CA qualification, rightly regarded as a pre-eminent pathway into the world of business, is in more demand than ever.”
“To be a CA is to be a professional, and the key theme of my Presidency is to reinforce that message. Being a Chartered Accountant is not simply counting the beans: it is about seeking the truth and communicating that. But there are threats to our role, including that we are seen merely as box-tickers.”
“When I qualified as an accountant we had perhaps 100 pages of accounting rules. We now have thousands of pages. What place does professional judgement have amongst this volume of compliance? That explains our interest in the promotion of principles. But it is not simply about cutting red tape. It is about ensuring our profession can do its job. Professionals must operate in the public interest, offering views and opinions, based on their skills and experience, be they in public practice, working in the private sector or for public benefit entities. I am determined that ICAS shall remain at the forefront of the debate promoting professional judgement over box-ticking.”
Ends
Notes to editors
Isobel Sharp is a Partner in the audit practice at Deloitte & Touche LLP where she specialises in financial reporting, company law and corporate governance matters.
She is a graduate of Edinburgh University, qualified as a CA in 1980 with Thomson McLintock and then spent four years in its UK Research Department. She also qualified as a Chartered Secretary in 1986.
Prior to returning to practice in 1989, she was for four years Director, Accounting & Auditing at The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland during which time she acted as secretary to the Research Committee which published “Making Corporate Reports Valuable”. In the 1990s, Isobel served as a member of the Institute’s Council, on various ICAS committees and as Chairman of the ICAS England and Wales Area Committee.
In addition to her ICAS responsibilities, Isobel is currently:
Isobel’s involvement in accounting standards for SMEs began in 1994/6 with membership of the CCAB Working Party on Big GAAP/Little GAAP, for which she wrote the first draft of the FRSSE
She has served on the UK’s Accounting Standards Board (ASB) and the Financial Reporting Review Panel. She also served on working parties of the Auditing Practices Board and the Professional Oversight Board.
Isobel’s most recent co-authored external textbook “iGAAP 2007 Financial statements for UK listed groups” was published in November 2006. She is also a regular speaker at conferences and contributor to the accounting literature.
About Deloitte
In this press release references to Deloitte are references to Deloitte & Touche LLP, which is among the country’s leading professional services firms. Deloitte & Touche LLP is the United Kingdom member firm of Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu (‘DTT’), a Swiss Verein whose member firms are separate and independent legal entities. Neither DTT nor any of its member firms has any liability for each other’s acts or omissions. Services are provided by member firms or their subsidiaries and not by DTT. Deloitte & Touche LLP is authorised and regulated by the Financial Services Authority. The information contained in this press release is correct at the time of going to press.
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