ICAS is a professional body for around 19,000 world class business men and women who work in the UK and in more than 100 countries around the world. Our members have all achieved the internationally recognised and respected CA qualification (Chartered Accountant). We are an educator, examiner, regulator, and thought leader.
Almost two thirds of our working membership work in business, many leading some of the UK’s and the world’s great companies. The others work in accountancy practices ranging from the Big Four in the City to the small practitioner in rural areas of the country.
We currently have around 3,000 students striving to become the next generation of CAs under the tutelage of our expert staff and members. We regulate our members and their firms. We represent our members on a wide range of issues in accountancy, finance and business and seek to influence policy in Europe and the UK, always acting in the public interest.
ICAS is the first professional body for accountants and was created by Royal Charter in 1854.
Departments and staff of ICAS
See contact details here or call ICAS’ main line on+44 (0)131 347 0100.
Office Bearers
Iain McLaren, CA, President
0131 347 0309; president@icas.org.uk
Iain McLaren qualified as a chartered accountant in 1974 with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co (now KPMG). Iain moved into industry in 1977 to become Chief Internal Auditor of a large construction group but missed something of the profession and rejoined the firm in 1981, as an Audit Partner. Iain has advised a wide range of medium sized, large private and listed companies as well as advising on several management buy-outs and M&A assignments. He first became involved in the management of KPMG in 1997, first as Managing Partner for the Edinburgh office, becoming CEO for the Scottish Region in 1998 and Senior Partner KPMG Scotland in October 1999. He retired from the firm in 2008.
Iain is Senior Independent Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Cairn Energy plc and Director and Chair of the Audit Committee of Baillie Gifford Shin Nippon plc. He is chairman of Investors Capital Trust plc, a director and audit committee member of Edinburgh Dragon Trust plc and a board member of Scottish Enterprise. Iain is also a member of the Court of Heriot Watt University and a Governor of St Columba’s Hospice.
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Professor Sir David Tweedie, CA, Senior Vice-President
0131 347 0309; president@icas.org.uk
Sir David was educated at Edinburgh University (BCom 1966, PhD 1969) and qualified as a Scottish Chartered Accountant in 1972 . He was appointed Technical Director of ICAS in 1978 and moved in 1982 to the position of national technical partner of the then Thomson McLintock & Co. In 1987 his firm merged with Peat Marwick Mitchell & Co and he was appointed national technical partner of KPMG Peat Marwick McLintock.
In 1990 he was appointed the first full-time Chairman of the (then) newly created Accounting Standards Board, the committee charged with the responsibility for producing the UK's accounting standards. In January 2001 he was appointed Chairman of the International Accounting Standards Board (IASB). He is a visiting Professor of Accounting in the Management School at Edinburgh University. He has been awarded honorary degrees by eight British universities, the ICAEW's Founding Societies Centenary Award for 1997 and the CIMA Award 1998 for services to the accounting profession.
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Brendan Nelson, CA, Junior Vice-President
0131 347 0309; president@icas.org.uk
Brendan qualified in 1973 and joined peat Marwick Mitchell & Co London in 1974. Peat Marwick Mitchell and Thomson McLintock merged to form KPMG. He was made a partner in KPMG in 1984 and had a distinguished career in professional practice with KPMG, where he became Vice-Chairman of the UK firm and was also Global Chairman of the Banking and Financial Services networks of KPMG International.
Brendan joined the Board of RBS plc in April 2010 as a non-executive director. He chairs the Group Audit Committee. In November 2010 he was appointed as a non-executive director of BP plc, where he sits on the Chairman’s Committee and chairs the Audit Committee. Additionally, Brendan served as a member of the Practitioner Panel for six years. This is the statutory body established by the Financial Services and Markets Act to advise the Financial Services Authority and to report publicly on the views of the FSA’s work.
Brendan is a past Council member of ICAS and Chaired the Institute’s Audit Committee between 2005 and 2008.
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Executive Team
Anton Colella, Chief Executive
0131 347 0266; acolella@icas.org.uk
Anton joined ICAS in October 2006 as Chief Executive, following five years as Chief Executive of the Scottish Qualifications Authority (SQA). Prior to SQA, he held various teaching posts including Teacher of RE at Holyrood Secondary School, Glasgow; Principal Teacher of RE at St Columba’s High School, Gourock; and Depute Head Teacher at St Margaret Mary’s Secondary School, Glasgow.
Anton is a Council member of the Confederation of British Industry Scotland (CBI). He is chairman of the Scottish Council of Independent Schools (SCIS is an independent, educational charity representing over 70 member schools in Scotland, which educate more than 32,000 children of mixed abilities from diverse backgrounds. SCIS promotes choice, diversity and excellence in Scottish education. He is also trustee of Columba 1400 (a social enterprise devoted to releasing the potential of young people who have weathered tough times).
Former affiliations include being a member of the Skills Advisory Board for the MoD, Vice-Chairman of Glasgow College of Nautical Studies, Board Member of Scottish Further Education Unit and a member of the Quality Assurance Agency Scotland Committee.
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Mark Allison, Executive Director, Education
0131 347 0182; mallison@icas.org.uk
Professor Mark Allison is a chartered accountant, qualifying originally with KPMG. Professor Allison serves as the Executive Director, Education and International at the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS), a role he has carried out for 15 years. He is responsible for the Institute’s CA qualification system as well as its International activities.
Mark became the independent chair of the International Accounting Education Standards Board (IAESB) in January 2009. He had served as the Technical Advisor to the Education Board (formerly the Education Committee) from 1998 to 2005 and contributed significantly to the design and writing of the International Education Standards (IES) 1-8.
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Atholl Duncan, Executive Director, UK and Global Member Engagement
0131 347 0150; aduncan@icas.org.uk
Atholl joined ICAS in 2011 following nearly three decades working in journalism, television and corporate communications. He is a former executive at the BBC – responsible for the corporation’s news and current affairs operation in Scotland on radio, television and online. He is responsible for engaging our 18,000 members in the activities and services of ICAS. He is also responsible for all communications, including marketing, media, and public affairs. Atholl is a former Director of Corporate Affairs at Scottish Water and has served as a non-executive director at Sportscotland for more than eight years.
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Lesley Glen, Executive Director, Finance and Resources
0131 347 0316; lglen@icas.org.uk
Lesley Glen is Executive Director, Finance & Resources at ICAS, with responsibility for the Finance, IT, Facilities and HR teams. Lesley graduated from Glasgow University in 1991 gaining an LLB, with Honours in Public international law. Lesley undertook her accountancy training with Strathclyde Regional Council, becoming a CIPFA member and prizewinner in 1995. Lesley moved away from the local authority sector shortly after qualifying, spending a number of years in the education sector. Immediately before joining ICAS Lesley was Vice-Principal at Stevenson College Edinburgh and Lesley remains involved in education in serving on a college board, chairing the Finance Committee.
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Vivienne Muir, Executive Director, Innovation
0131 347 0275; vmuir@icas.org.uk
Vivienne Muir is the Executive Director of Innovation at ICAS. Vivienne joined ICAS in 2005. Following qualifying as a solicitor after training with Balfour and Manson in Edinburgh, Vivienne worked in Sydney as a litigation lawyer. Upon her return she developed her leadership ability in a number of roles and prior to joining ICAS, worked as a Business Manager for the Scottish Qualifications Authority. Prior to her appointment as Executive Director, Innovation, Vivienne was Executive Director, Regulation and Compliance.
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Michelle Mullen, Executive Director, Regulation and Compliance
0131 347 0274; mmullen@icas.org.uk
Michelle Mullen joined ICAS in 1998. A Solicitor, she qualified with ICAS (the first trainee solicitor in Scotland to qualify in an in-house legal/accountancy environment). Prior to her appointment to the post of Executive Director, Regulation & Compliance, Michelle was Head of Investigations, responsible for the delivery of the complaints function and all related issues involving professional conduct. Michelle has a proven track record in the delivery of regulatory policy, particularly in relation to public interest matters. Michelle is responsible for ensuring members uphold standards in an ever increasingly complex regulatory regime. She has responsibility for the issuing and monitoring of all professional authorisations, CPD and the investigation of complaints.
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David Wood, Executive Director, Technical Policy and Services
0131 347 0240; dwood@icas.org.uk
David Wood is Executive Director, Technical Policy and Services - which means he is responsible for all the Institute’s technical activity in the fields of accounting, auditing, company law, tax and so on, and for the proactive initiatives in these areas and the establishment of the broad strategic themes, such as better regulation. David's remit also covers members' services, ensuring ICAS provides comprehensive technical support and career development advice to CAs around the world.
David was born in 1961 and studied at St Catherine's College, Cambridge University, gaining a BA(Hons) in Mathematics in 1983 and an MA in 1986.
David has been an ICAEW member for 24 years and an ICAS member for 16 years. David originally worked for Ernst & Young in England and New Zealand, and joined the ICAS technical team in 1993. He was appointed Executive Director in December 2004.
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