Dean Westcott takes ACCA presidency

ACCA has elected Hinchingbrooke Hospital finance director Dean Westcott as its president.

Westcott (pictured) was elected at the annual council meeting on 15 September.

He has held several senior finance positions in the National Health Service and has been chairman of ACCA’s Health Network Panel, which represents more than 3,000 members that work on healthcare projects around the world. He has also been chair for the institutes audit and finance committees and international public sector technical committee.

He was pivotal in creating the ACCA health manifesto – Accounting for the Nations Health. The manifesto was supported by the UK department of health and launched in parliament at the end of 2006.

Westcott said: “It is a huge privilege to serve as ACCA president. I am committed to speaking to as many of our members as possible, to take their views to ACCA’s council and to ensure that these views shape their organisation for the future.

Acca has about 147,000 members worldwide.

It was also announced at the council meeting that Barry Cooper, head of the school of accounting, economics and finance at Deakin University, Melbourne is now deputy president, and Martin Turner, a management consultant working in the health sector is vice president.