Northern President Heads New ICAI Team

by Jason Gorringe, Tax-News.com, London

13 May 2008

Jim Aiken has succeeded Vincent Sheridan as President of the largest and oldest professional accountancy body in Ireland and Northern Ireland, the ICAI, at its AGM held in Belfast recently.

Tom Fitzpatrick has been elected Deputy President, while Paul O’Connor has been elected Vice President. Mr Sheridan assumes the position of Immediate Past President, and remains on the four man Officer Group of the ICAI.

Mr Aiken is the Director of Corporate Affairs at the Northern Ireland Transport Holding Company, Mr Fitzpatrick is Managing Partner of Dublin Chartered Accountancy firm FMB, Mr O’Connor is a Partner with PricewaterhouseCoopers in Dublin, and Mr Sheridan is former Chief Executive of VHI Healthcare, the ICAI explained.

Speaking at the AGM, Mr Aiken commented:

“It is a great honour and privilege to be President of this very august body and I look forward to the year ahead. I would like to offer my congratulations to Vincent Sheridan for his achievements during his year as President; he has truly raised the bar for those to follow."

“Serving members is the primary function of the ICAI. We need to respond to the ever increasing diversity of membership across every sector and remain relevant to those members, with more focussed support and a strong programme of professional development which takes into account the breadth of specialisms within our profession. We must also aim to provide the best service to those members who live and work outside of the main metropolitan areas of Dublin and Belfast," he continued, adding that:

“The ICAI will continue to meet its obligation to act as an increasingly effective and respected voice and lobby on behalf of business and society at large."

"Over the last year we have been particularly active, as shown by our campaign for a ‘yes’ vote on the Lisbon Treaty in the Republic of Ireland, and by our campaign for a reduced rate of 12.5% for Corporation Tax in Northern Ireland."

“As an all-island body in existence since 1888, I believe that there is no one better placed than the ICAI to facilitate and support the new political dispensation on this island and the growing all-island economy. I believe that as a professional pro-business body, we have earned the right to be heard."

“The threat of an economic downturn in the UK and Ireland is making us face up to the new challenge of managing a less buoyant economy, while also dealing with competition from emerging economies. We also face the challenge of reforming and streamlining public services North and South, if we are to remain competitive," Aiken stated, going on to conclude that:

“Our Institute must ensure that members continue to develop skills as business advisers, enablers and decision-makers which help to address these challenges. We need to capitalise on the talent, expertise and commitment within our membership. We must help business develop new niche markets and services which add value and deliver growth."

“In a free-market economy, our profession’s core values of honesty, integrity and high ethical standards are more important than ever. As well as showing our corporate social responsibility, we must demonstrate personal social responsibility. Each of us must appreciate the opportunities which we have been given and use our good fortune and abilities to help those who are less fortunate than we are."

Recommended