AAT announce appointment of 38th president

The Association of Accounting Technicians (AAT) has announced that Vernon Anderson is to be the professional body’s 38th president.

Anderson will hold office until September next year, meaning he will drive the organisation through Making Tax Digital, Brexit, and plenty of other upcoming challenges.

He succeeds Nicky Fisher in the role and will lead the AAT with support from John Thornton, who will be his vice president.

Anderson has worked extensively with the AAT. He has been particularly active in the branch network as a committee member, firstly for the Cornwall branch, which he launched in 2010 as its inaugural chairman, and then he chaired the Bristol branch between 2012 and 2015.

The incoming president has a career background in the British Army, graduating from Army Apprentice College in 1976 as a vehicle technician and then going on to be posted to Germany.

In 1991 Anderson left the army to settle back in the UK, where he moved into the plastics industry. He retrained as an injection moulding operative for a multi-national company.

During his time as a former Administration and Finance Manager at a large local town council, Anderson trained in AAT Level 3 and Level 4, which are now known as the Advanced Diploma and Professional Diploma to support the role he was working in.

Anderson then became a qualified Town Clerk, with legal responsibilities in finance and council administration.

He continued to work similar roles alongside being a Licensed Practitioner for over ten years until his early retirement not long ago in 2018.

Reflecting on his new title, Anderson said: “It’s an honour to become president of AAT. I’ve enjoyed my time working with various AAT branches and my time as vice president over the past year, and now I’m looking forward to promoting the skills of our students and members as president.

“AAT is a fantastic pathway for many thousands of people starting and progressing through careers in accountancy and bookkeeping, and I’m proud to play my own small part in the organisation’s work.”

Thinking to the future, the new president said: “Over the next year I hope to assist AAT in its mission to help businesses and organisations of all sizes maintain and build their financial discipline. I’ve attended several branch network meetings already to meet our members, been to AAT Achievement Ceremonies in London and Botswana, and I’ll be travelling to the IFAC World Congress of Accountants in a few weeks.”

“I’m keen to continue to help strengthen AAT’s UK and global position as a leading technician organisation in the accountancy arena.”