Will’s presidency will also focus on promoting and implementing ICAEW’s strategy for the next decade.
Speaking on his first day in office, Will said: “We have entered a decade of transition, and our profession needs to adapt and evolve to ensure that it continues to serve the public interest at the end of the decade.
“As key agents of trust, chartered accountants are at the centre of sustainable decision-making, not just financially but also socially and environmentally. Tackling global challenges requires global collaboration so it is vital that our profession remains attractive to talented people from diverse backgrounds.
“I am honoured to become ICAEW president during this pivotal year for the profession.”
Will qualified as a chartered accountant in London in 1980 at Dearden Farrow (now part of Deloitte) after graduating in economics from Lancaster University Management School. He then moved to KPMG, where he stayed for five years, specialising in banking and securities work. Since then he has had a long career in the City, originally as CFO with a clearing member of the London Stock Exchange and subsequently as a specialist in corporate finance, business strategy and governance. He built his own consultancy in these fields, training several young chartered accountants and providing CF and fund management services under FSA regulation. He has served as a non-executive director of various businesses for many years and, away from ICAEW, he now spends much of his time on this work.
Will was elected to ICAEW Council in 2011 and has been an active member of ICAEW since 2000. He served as an examiner for the ICAEW final admitting exam (the Advanced Case Study, as a member of the Disciplinary Committee and as President of the London Society of Chartered Accountants.
Will succeeds David Matthews as ICAEW President. He will serve a one-year term until June 2022, when he will hand over to Julia Penny.