The Institute of Chartered Accountants of Scotland (ICAS) has appointed Gail Boag as its next CEO, with her tenure beginning on 1 January 2026.
She will take over from Bruce Cartwright, who has held the position since 2018 and is set to remain until March 2026 to oversee a period of transition.
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Gail Boag is currently the executive director of learning and market development at ICAS.
Her previous experience includes serving as dean at Edinburgh Napier’s Business School and acting as regional director for Scotland at BT.
At ICAS, she was responsible for leading changes to the chartered accountant syllabus to address developments in technology, data and sustainability.
Boag’s appointment represents the first time in ICAS’ 172-year history that a woman will serve as CEO.
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By GlobalDataThe decision was approved by both the presidential team and council of ICAS, who pointed to her professional background in business and communication, as well as leadership capabilities.
Bruce Cartwright will step down after eight years in the role. The council expressed appreciation for his leadership and the changes introduced under his direction.
On her appointment, Boag said: “I am deeply honoured to take on the role of CEO at ICAS. The organisation has a distinguished history of upholding the highest standards of integrity, professionalism and public trust.
“My focus will be on ensuring that ICAS continues to act in the public interest while driving sustainable growth for the organisation, value for its members and relevance for our qualification.”
ICAS president Karen Scholes commented: “After a competitive process, I am pleased to announce that we have appointed Gail Boag as ICAS’ new CEO. Gail has already demonstrated her mettle over the last three years as our executive director of learning and market development, leading and delivering our new world-class CA syllabus.
“I also want to thank our outgoing CEO Bruce Cartwright CA for his leadership and commitment to the organisation over the last eight years and both I and my fellow council members wish him all the very best for the future.”
