Institutes caught up in CEO conflicts dispute
ACCA is demanding reassurances from the headhunter seeking its new chief executive after it emerged that the firm is now doing the same job for the ICAEW.
Link: ICAEW chief calls for overhaul
and ACCA chief calls on international bodies.
The ICAEW began its search for a new CEO with adverts in last Sunday’s papers placed by top executive search agency Whitehead Mann.
But ACCA was ‘surprised’ to see it is the same agency that has been working on the search for its CEO for over a year. Remarks made by ACCA’s current CEO Anthea Rose suggest the body feels there is real concern over a headhunter looking to fill the same post at rival institutes.
‘We are surprised that both Whitehead Mann and the institute think this is appropriate. ACCA’s search process continues,’ said Rose.
A spokesman made it clear Whitehead Mann would be asked to provide reassurances that there will be no conflicts of interest.
Whitehead Mann this week said that it could not comment but made it clear it felt there were no conflicts.
An ICAEW spokesman said: ‘We knew Whitehead Mann was looking for a chief executive for ACCA. We didn’t see any conflict of interest.’
ICEAW is looking to replace the current secretary general post with a CEO to work alongside the institute’s president. The position is currently held by Peter Owen who delayed retirement to fill in after the sudden departure of John Collier.
Current president Peter Wyman hopes the search will be over by September this year.
ACCA attempted to appoint a CEO in November of 2001 but talks with the BBC’s Andrew Hind broke down.