Anstee sets stage for second merger voteIf the merger process was nothing else, it was a learning experience for ICAEW chief executive Eric Anstee. He told Accountancy Age that, while he lost the vote to merge the institute with CIPFA (by the narrowest of margins), the experience had produced some determination at Moorgate Place to find out why he lost the argument.

MORI has helped out in that respect. Research for the institute among members who said ‘no’, has revealed that 33% did so because they thought it would ‘diminish’ the qualification, while another 31% believed that joining the public sector body would reduce standards generally.

The results have led Anstee (pictured) to conclude that the message just wasn’t getting across.

From his City office, he insists his strategy of having two qualifications,­ the ACA and CIPFA’s, ­ under the one umbrella of the ICAEW, would not lead to a decline in standards anywhere.

But Anstee believes that to win a second merger proposal, probably in 2007, he needs to convince the membership he is succeeding on some other fronts. If he can show members that the institute is best at ‘thought leadership’ and gets results when lobbying government, standard setters and regulators, it will produce a reputation for excellence that enhances members’ careers.

‘Eighty-six percent say they want to see this institute maintain top quality standards ­ the gold standard. But what they also want to make sure is that the thought leadership is relevant to us,’ said Anstee.

But Anstee recognises the membership is diverse and they will all
want to see the institute working on their behalf. ‘One of the key things we do
need to do is service all the members. We need to make sure that
there’s something for everyone. All of our members are sufficiently well trained to expect us to service all of them,’ he said.

Servicing all the members means an expanded set of faculties, including a new public services body that will look at a ‘reciprocity’ agreement with CIPFA, and possibly sharing office space in some regional areas. There will also be a new financial services faculty intent on helping smaller practices muscle in on the ground currently held by independent financial advisers.

Other items on Anstee’s agenda include a new modular qualification, also planned for 2007 and expansion overseas including India and China. Also, the implementation of the institute’s practice strategy which examines small and medium-sized practices that are winning a slice of the lucrative probate market.