Insights on Ethics & Trust
ICAS research shows that 81% of both the public and professionals view accountants as experts in their field
More than 80% (8 in 10) of the UK public and professionals see accountants as experts in their field, but a lack of understanding of the role remains, according to our new research report, ‘Society First: Shaping the profession’.
In this series of conversations about ethical leadership, we speak with high profile ICAS members who have reflected on what it means to do the right, or ethical thing throughout their careers. It is hoped that the conversations provide practical guidance to help anyone in a challenging professional situation where they are required to seek the truth and then act.
The profession of accountancy is changing—and faster than ever before. Chartered Accountants Worldwide’s flagship series, Difference Makers Discuss, is back for its third season, bringing together six remarkable conversations with leaders who are shaping the future of our profession.
In today’s climate of economic uncertainty, digital disruption, and eroding institutional confidence, Chartered Accountants are recognised by finance and business decision makers as one of the world’s most trusted professions. According to the fifth wave of the Trust Survey conducted by Edelman DXI for Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW), the profession ranks third globally for trust, just behind doctors and engineers – and significantly ahead of other accountancy qualifications.
Trust and Ethics: The foundations of Chartered Accountancy
Trust and ethics define Chartered Accountancy. In a fast-moving financial world, Chartered Accountants uphold integrity, ensure transparency, and earn the confidence of businesses and individuals through their commitment to honesty and confidentiality.
As guardians of financial information, they have a duty to act in the public interest—fostering confidence and stability in the economy.
Chartered Accountancy itself emerged from the need for greater scrutiny after corporate failures. Today, with growing expectations on businesses to prioritise more than just profits, Chartered Accountants play a crucial role. Armed with independence, professional scepticism, and a questioning mindset, they help organisations navigate ethical challenges and build lasting trust.
Online Events & Webinars
Online Events & Webinars
One clear way that Chartered Accountant Member Institutes are rising to this challenge is in the creation and hosting of online events and activities.
We are working with the Institutes to present the events that have a global perspective and are available to Chartered Accountants everywhere.
Webinars on demand
In the final episode of Difference Makers Discuss Season 3, host Sinéad Donovan welcomed back two familiar voices—Brad Hook and Declan Scott, co-authors of the landmark Global Resilience and Well-being Report for Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW). Earlier in the year, their inaugural research sparked important conversations about how chartered accountants worldwide are coping with the new realities of work.
In the latest episode of Difference Makers Discuss, host Sinéad Donovan sits down with an extraordinary guest, Carla S. Vijian, a Principal with the International Ethics Standards Board for Accountants (IESBA), whose career spans continents, industries, and some of the most pressing ethical questions of our time.
In the newest episode of Difference Makers Discuss, Sinead Donovan sits down with Nicola Ellam, Managing Principal at CLA (CliftonLarsonAllen) in New York — ranked number 8 among U.S. accounting firms — for a fascinating look at how the profession is transforming through technology, global collaboration, and human-centred leadership.
