I was perhaps a little too delighted to be immortalised as the first named storm of the season, Storm Amy, which hit UK shores last week. It felt fitting, as I’ve been stirring up quite a professional whirlwind of my own across the country so far this Autumn. In what feels like a blur of brilliant people, big ideas, and the occasional margarita, I've been feeling suitably energised by the evolving and ever lively accounting industry.
At Zoholics, I spoke with small businesses about Making Tax Digital for Income Tax and how bookkeepers are helping them stay compliant while embracing technology that genuinely makes life easier. At Accountex North, I joined Laura McCarthy and Lorraine Ellison on stage to talk about how accountants and bookkeepers can collaborate to make MTD IT something to look forward to. The conversations that I was part of on stage, and at ICB's exhibition stand, were so optimistic and energised. Thank you to all of our members who swung by to say hi and stopped to talk to attendees about what's great about ICB membership and qualifications.
Then came the celebrations - Accounting Excellence, where we applauded our winning firm Safe Hands and shortlisted finalists, and the Xero Awards, where Double Digit proudly represented ICB as a winner. Both events reminded me just how much warmth and ambition live within this community.
There were also two new kinds of gatherings this season. The Sage Agentic AI launch aboard the Golden Hinde in London, where I felt the buzz of innovation and saw how fast tech is moving to meet bookkeepers where they work. And the Digital Disruptors Awards and live podcast in Manchester, where I joined a room full of people who believe that creativity and curiosity will keep our profession relevant and human in an AI age.
And just this week, our Advisory Council met at Chancery House, ICB's London headquarters, to talk about the future of the profession and how ICB can prepare members to thrive in roles that didn’t exist a decade ago.
Everywhere I’ve been, I've been noticing one main thing. More and more ICB members are stepping into even more pivotal roles, helping businesses link finance to strategy and drawing in non-financial data to tell a more meaningful story. They’re blending the precision of bookkeeping with strategic insight, guiding decisions that touch everything from people to sustainability. It’s the next evolution of what we do, and it’s something ICB wants to recognise and support.
That’s why we’re preparing a refreshed qualification syllabus for announcing next year as we celebrate 30 years since June and Garry Carter founded ICB. Our learning and development pathways will reflect the bookkeeper's expanded role and give members a new path for progression within ICB and the wider profession. It’s about valuing the advisory, interpretive, and leadership skills that modern businesses need.
Next month’s
Bookkeepers Summit will carry that message forward. I’ll be speaking about how bookkeepers are the
API between a business’s reality and its dreams. And I’ll be joined by
Gary Turner, whose work in the early days of Xero laid the foundation for the digital practices many ICB members run today. We’ll talk about his career, what he thinks bookkeepers should be focussing on now and in the future, and his surprising take on technology.
So yes, so far it’s been a season of storms, suitcases, and celebrations but it won't be long before I'm getting my suitcase out again for the Bookkeepers Summit and LUCA Awards next month. Before then,
join me on LinkedIn on Monday 13 October to hear who's been shortlisted for a LUCA Award and together we can toast our achievements and look forward to many more.
