ICAS announces new president as membership breaks through 21,000 mark

Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland has named Ken McHattie as its new president.

The chair of onshore energy company Aurora Petroleum was confirmed as President for 2016 at the accountancy body’s Annual General Meeting on Friday and will take over from Jim Pettigrew to serve a year in office.

Mr McHattie qualified as a CA with Thomson McLintock in Aberdeen in 1978, and as a solicitor in 1985.

Having previously served on the Council of ICAS and as vice-president and deputy president, Mr McHattie worked for venture capitalists 3i before becoming a partner in the Aberdeen law firm Ledingham Chalmers.

He also worked for service company Atlantic Power as Group Company Secretary and was a founder of North Sea Operator Tuscan Energy.

He joined Energy Development Partners Limited, the manager of a significant oil and gas investment fund, as finance director in 2005, and worked there until mid-2010, before helping to establish Aurora.

Those gathered at the accountancy body’s AGM also heard that membership of ICAS has now reached a record level of more than 21,000 Chartered Accountants (CAs).

The 50 per cent increase in members in the past 20 years means ICAS can now boast more than 10,000 members in Scotland and 10,000 members across the rest of the UK and in 100 countries around the world.

Speaking at the AGM at CA House in Edinburgh, new president Mr McHattie said: “Our mission is to build the leading global professional community and I look forward to working tirelessly over the next 12 months on behalf of our 21,000 members to lead the next stage of delivering our ambitious plans.”

He added: “I strongly believe that ICAS and our members have a key role to play in rebuilding trust in business through a focus on business ethics and personal responsibility.

“Over the next 12 months I will focus on how we do this through our global initiative ‘The Power of One’.

“Also high on my priorities will be raising the need for a change of culture in the UK to provide better support for small businesses and encouraging more and more people to start their own company.”