ACCA restructure sees three departures

ACCA has lost three senior figures in the last month, as it restructures its
international model.

Dr Steve Priddy, the body’s senior technical director, was the most prominent
departure. Director of media relations, Clive Booth, and head of public affairs,
Veena Hudson, also left.

Dr Priddy was well known in the industry and stood in for chief executive
Helen Brand at key events, including a meeting of the Treasury Select Comm­ittee
in February. He declined to answer direct questions about his departure, but in
an article in Accountancy Age this week he argued institutes need to
safeguard and strengthen their technical reputation in order to thrive
internationally.(Read Dr Priddy’s view
here).

Neil Stevenson, executive director of brand at ACCA, would not comment on the
departures but said the body was reorganising its international set up with the
creation of four global regions. He added: “There are no internal ructions or
disagreements.”

He said the organisation remained focused on being a global body and
dismissed suggestions it did not have the right focus. “That’s just not the case
at all,” he said. “Global research and global technical expertise and knowledge
are vital for accountancy bodies in order to thrive in the future… Our focus is
global, the regional structure… is an operational structure that relates to our
83 offices and centres around the world.”

He said ACCA had become increasingly “cost-conscious”, undertaking a
financial review, but this was not interfering in plans to grow the institute.
ACCA has about 5% of global market share for professional accountants, according
to its 2008 accounts.

The spread of international accounting rules has presented challenges for the
UK’s acc­ounting institutes as they seek to stamp their influence on an
inter­national and domestic level.

Further reading:

Dr Steve Priddy on the
profession’s future