Jo trained as an auditor and in 2016, moved 8,000 miles to be Financial Controller for the National Development Agency and Tourist Board in the Falkland Islands, supporting growth of the local economy. Back in the UK, she has focused on supporting companies with building and improving their company processes with a focus on decarbonisation decision-making and data analytics. Jo is currently the Finance Lead for digiLab, a tech start-up building digital twin software and supporting the integration of AI into all sectors. She is Chair of the ICAEW Southern, Wales and South West Sustainability Committee, supporting regional members with practical advice on sustainability matters.

Starting her career with KPMG and then Lloyds Banking Group, Beth’s professional career has taken her through financial services & law firms before settling on SMEs, she is passionate about using her skills to support fast growing tech businesses. Beth is currently CFO at Flexys Solutions, a startup FinTech company disrupting the debt management and collections space. Beth is a member of a number of industry communities such as StartupCFO, Innovate Finance, TechSpark and she is a prominent advocate for women in tech and leadership roles.

Richard is the CFO of Rooftop Cinema, the market-leading operator of rooftop outdoor cinema experiences in the US and UK. Prior to this, Richard worked for the UK’s leading private equity firm, Lloyds Development Capital (“LDC”), for twelve years before becoming finance director of New World Trading Company, an operator of 24 bar/restaurants across the UK. Richard was previously a member of the ICAEW Travel, Tourism and Hospitality Committee until 2024.

Aneka is a Portfolio Manager in the discretionary team at Julius Baer International, where she manages global multi-asset mandates and conducts fundamental equity research for the Global Equity Income team. She began her career in 2008 at Pictet Bank & Trust and joined Julius Baer in 2013. Aneka holds a BCom in Economics from McGill University, graduating with distinction. She is a CFA Charterholder and holds both the Investment Management Certificate and CFA UK Certificate in ESG Investing. She is actively involved in the profession through CFA Society UK, CFA Society The Bahamas and the Chartered Institute for Securities & Investment.

Alice is the Finance Director of Brown & Bright Holdings which runs crabbing vessels in both the UK and Netherlands. She is also an ICAEW younger member, having qualified in 2018. For the 2022 / 23 year, she is the Deputy Chair of ICAEW South West.

David joined the Bouygues Group in the UK over 20 years ago as a newly qualified Chartered Accountant. During this time, David has moved across the group, working in a number of different industries such as waste management and building services. He became Financial Director of the Facilities Management business in 2001 and later moved to the role of Chief Operating Officer, before becoming Managing Director in 2009. David was appointed CEO for Bouygues Energies and Services in January 2016. He is an ICAEW Council Member and was the former Chair of the ICAEW Business and Management Faculty Board.

Rosslyn came to accounting via an odd route, first achieving a Degree in the arts, and working in retail & hospitality for years while retraining. Currently studying ACA & due to qualify soon, Rosslyn has been in the accounting industry for 10 years working her way from Accounts administration to Finance Business Partner. Only ever being in industry, she brings a unique perspective to the Committee. As a Business partner Rosslyn is used to working closely with internal leadership, and navigating through tricky budget management. In contrast, Rosslyn is also a Fitness instructor of 6 years, not forgetting her Dance degree routes, and enjoys exploring home and aboard.

Malcolm Finn is currently Group Financial Controller at Octopus Energy leading group functions, financial operations, finance systems and processes, and transformation. Malcolm has held senior finance leadership roles at Johnson Matthey plc, Vodafone Group plc, and Costa Coffee. Malcolm is a Chartered accountant (FCA – ICAEW) and has worked with many large organisations whilst he was at EY and Deloitte. Malcolm has a scientific academic background and has also completed an MBA. He often speaks and writes about organisation culture, the human factor and business performance and innovation.

Roger has built most of his career in the Asia-Pacific region since qualifying in 1988. After early insolvency and administration roles in Australia and London, he moved to Hong Kong SAR and joined LVMH in 1995. Over the next 20 years, he held CFO and COO roles across several fashion businesses in Singapore, Guam and Japan. He later became Managing Director at DFS, leading duty-free partnerships and new business opportunities across Asia. For the past seven years, he has advised the owners of Mayapada Group, serving as COO of Mayapada Healthcare Group and later CEO of Bloomberg Technoz. He also chairs the Stakeholder Advisory Board for ICAEW Indonesia.

Chris is a specialist in collaborative innovation, ecosystem creation and performance management, with internationally recognised research in the field. Before returning to academia in 2012, he worked in corporate recovery at Deloitte and spent 15 years running an international mountain bike travel and training business, partnering globally while also working in outdoor education, coach development and leadership for two UK national sports bodies. He now holds advisory roles across business and government, including as a Cabinet Office Policy Fellow supporting the Open Innovation Team. He also previously served as Academic Adviser to the ICAEW Business and Management Faculty Board.

Gareth has worked in professional education throughout his career and has strong links with the major UK accountancy awarding bodies. He has contributed to the roll-out of accountancy apprenticeship standards and wider apprenticeship policy discussions. He now designs post-qualification education programmes for finance professionals, focusing on digital finance, data analytics, leadership and management skills. Gareth also holds several senior roles, including ICAEW Council member, Chair of the ICAEW East of England Strategy Board, Chair of the Skills Group of Cambridge Ahead, member of the ICAEW Education & Training Board, member of the CBI East of England Regional Council, and co-chair of the IoD’s Education Special Interest Group.

Harriet Lawson-Cowap is an experienced internal audit and finance leader and currently serves as Head of Internal Audit at BT Group, overseeing audit teams across Consumer and Openreach. She previously held senior retail roles at ASOS and Superdry, where she strengthened internal control frameworks and supported governance improvements in line with regulatory expectations. Harriet trained as a Chartered Accountant with KPMG, building strong expertise in audit, risk and financial reporting. She is also actively involved in the ICAEW community through the Birmingham and West Midlands Committee, where she supports young professionals and members in industry and contributes to policy, guidance and inclusion across the profession.

Vivek is a Chartered Accountant (ICAEW/ICAI) and MBA (Finance) with 20 years’ leadership experience across consumer, pharma and e-commerce businesses. He began his career with General Electric’s leadership development programme before spending a decade at Unilever in roles spanning supply chain, management accounting and divisional CFO, later joining its Global FP&A team in London. He then moved to Snapdeal as VP Finance, where he helped lead the business turnaround towards sustainable, profitable growth. Vivek is now Divisional CFO at Convatec Group plc for its Advanced Wound Dressings business across Europe and North America, and also serves on the boards of Convatec Ltd and Starlight Sciences UK.

Fiona trained with Deloitte and has since built a diverse portfolio spanning finance, governance, and transformation. She founded Focus Journey Evolve, a business improvement consultancy that delivers transformation services to private equity-backed businesses across the UK. Alongside her consultancy work, Fiona holds several positions as a Non-Executive Director, Audit Committee Chair and Charity Trustee. With experience across a range of sectors and ownership models, and a passion for driving meaningful change, Fiona brings a practical and people-focused perspective to business and economic debates.

Karen runs the finance team in family-owned Johnston’s of Elgin, a textile manufacturer and retailer with international operations. She is a law graduate, Chartered Tax Advisor and studying for an MBA at the University of Strathclyde.

Mal is Chief Commercial Officer for dentsu EMEA, leading client commercial strategy across the region. She moved into this role after six years as dentsu group’s Executive Director of Risk and Audit. Before joining dentsu, Mal spent 15 years at PwC in assurance and consulting roles covering audit, internal controls, risk management, Sarbanes-Oxley and media audits. She brings deep experience in the media and advertising sector, including work with Japan and time living in the US. Mal also previously served as a Non-Executive Director at BRE Group and is passionate about mentoring emerging leaders. She qualified as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant in 2004.

Andrew is a portfolio Finance Director and consultant based in South Wales, focussing principally on owner-managed businesses. He qualified with Deloitte, Haskins & Sells, before moving to work in the oil, engineering and aerospace sectors including three years as General Manager in the USA and seven years as Finance Director in the UK. Andrew is also Managing Director of his own accountancy practice specialising in the outsourcing of finance departments.