NON-CHARTERED ACCOUNTANTS have been appointed to the ICAEW’s board for the first time, in a historic move intended to broaden its diversity of thinking and experience of its board.
The appointment of Jill May, an investment banker with 13 years in M&A at SG Warburg & Co, and comms specialist Michael Stewart, follows a review of the institute’s board composition.
The board is responsible for planning and managing the business of ICAEW in line with the objectives, policies and budgets approved by the institute’s council. It is chaired by the ICAEW’s president and includes the chief executive, the deputy president, the vice president, five executive directors, the chairs of its four operating boards and two representatives elected by council.
May has spent much of her career in investment banking with more than ten years in strategic functions at UBS. She is a non-executive director and panel member of the Competition and Markets Authority and a member of the Complaints Committee of the Independent Press Standards Organisation
Stewart is president and CEO of Edelman’s Europe and CIS region and also a member of Edelman’s global executive committee. Prior to joining Edelman, he was a partner and global director of communications and marketing for McKinsey and Company.
Both were appointed following an extensive search process led by international executive search consultancy, Fidelio Partners. The new board members took up their appointments in July.
Andrew Ratcliffe, ICAEW president and chairman of the board, said: “We want to ensure our board reflects not just the interests of ICAEW members but also the society they serve. We are delighted to have appointed two individuals of the calibre of Jill and Michael and look forward to their contributions in helping ICAEW set and deliver its strategy.”