Beyond Finance

Last year CEO pay rose 20 times faster than workers’ pay, according to new research from Oxfam and the International Trade Union Confederation. At the most extreme end of that pay scale, investors approved an executive package for Elon Musk worth a potential $1tn.

So when does CEO pay become too high?  What are the commercial, ethical and cultural implications for organisations if they’re perceived to be over-paying their CEOs?  And as businesses compete globally for the best executive talent what can Boards do to keep pay packages in check?

Links

• Top CEO pay statistics from Oxfam - https://www.oxfam.org/en/press-releases/top-ceo-pay-increased-20-times-faster-workers-pay-2025
• ICAEW: Remuneration Committee ebooks - https://www.icaew.com/technical/corporate-governance/committees/remuneration-committees/remuneration-committee-ebooks
• ICAEW: Guidance on remuneration - https://www.icaew.com/technical/corporate-governance/committees/remuneration-committees
• ICAEW: How a CEOs pay package influences corporate culture - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2025/apr-2025/how-a-ceos-pay-package-influences-corporate-culture
• ICAEW CPD record - https://www.icaew.com/membership/cpd/online-cpd-record

Host
Philippa Lamb

Guests
Shefaly Yogendra, independent Board director, board adviser and author
Peter van Veen, Governance and Ethics Director, ICAEW

Producer
Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead
Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 17 June
Podcast recorded: 11 May

The government has plans to tokenise financial markets. What exactly is tokenisation? What might it look like in practice and what are the big questions about it that still need answering? Polly Tsang, ICAEW’s Senior Financial Services Regulatory Manager, explains.

After that, audit reports: ICAEW has created the Auditor Reporting Lab, alongside audit firms, to encourage modernisation in the market. KPMG Partner in Professional Practice, Accounting & Reporting, Pamela Taylor, has been thinking hard about how to make them more useful and more user-friendly.

This podcast counts towards your annual CPD – click the link below to log your time.

Links

• ICAEW: What is tokenisation, and what are the challenges for accountants? - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/may-2026/what-is-tokenisation-and-the-challenges-for-accountants
• Government tokenisation announcement - https://www.gov.uk/government/news/uk-fintech-backed-to-embrace-future-payments-technology
• FCA call for input on the future of tokenisation - https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/calls-input/future-tokenisation-joint-vision-authorities-uk-wholesale-markets
• ICAEW: Digital Assets Conference - https://www.icaew.com/learning-and-development/events/digital-assets-conference
• ICAEW: Auditor Reporting Lab - https://www.icaew.com/policy-and-research/thought-leadership/audit-and-assurance-thought-leadership/auditor-reporting-lab
• ICAEW: Rethinking the auditor’s report - https://www.icaew.com/policy-and-research/thought-leadership/audit-and-assurance-thought-leadership/auditor-reporting-lab/rethinking-the-auditors-report
• ICAEW: Audit and Assurance Conference - https://www.icaew.com/learning-and-development/events/audit-and-assurance-conference
• ICAEW podcasts - https://www.icaew.com/insights/podcast

Host
Philippa Lamb

Guests
Polly Tsang, Senior Financial Services Regulatory Manager
Pamela Taylor, Partner in Professional Practice, Accounting & Reporting, KPMG

Producer
Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead
Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 3 June 2026
Podcast recorded: 19 May 2026

Fraud is the largest reported crime in England and Wales, and the UK government wants to bring numbers down. With failure to prevent fraud now an offence, there is some onus on business to address the issue. But are enough businesses taking it seriously?

In this episode, we take a look at the common types of fraud, what businesses should be vigilant of, and how can they protect themselves?

Links

• UK government fraud strategy - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/fraud-strategy-2026-to-2029
• UK fraud statistics - https://www.ons.gov.uk/peoplepopulationandcommunity/crimeandjustice/articles/natureoffraudandcomputermisuseinenglandandwales/yearendingmarch2025
• ICAEW: Fraud helpsheets - https://www.icaew.com/technical/tas-helpsheets/fraud
• ICAEW: What the government’s new fraud strategies mean for business - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/apr-2026/what-the-governments-new-fraud-strategies-mean-for-business
• ICAEW: podcasts - https://www.icaew.com/insights/podcast

Host
Guy Ruddle

Guests

• Tristan Yelland, Partner, Forensic and Investigations, Grant Thornton
• Will Christopher, Partner, Kinsgsley Napley

Producer
Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead
Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 20 May 2026
Podcast recorded: 20 April 2026

Everyone’s talking about energy costs at the moment. Greenfields Energy Group’s co-founder LIAM CONWAY walks us through the energy impacts of the Iran War and outlines the best ways for businesses to protect themselves from global energy shocks.   

Elsewhere on the episode, we discuss new guidance from the Financial Reporting Council on managing the risks for auditors when it comes to AI adoption; and a quick update on UKGAAP: the challenges that the changes pose for smaller entities

Links

• How higher oil prices will change Britain -https://www.thetimes.com/article/f754197a-859b-460b-8ad0-1e36fc878ff1
• FRC – AI in Audit: Generative and Agentic AI guidance -https://www.frc.org.uk/library/standards-codes-policy/audit-assurance-and-ethics/guidance/ai-in-audit/
• ICAEW UK GAAP hub - https://www.icaew.com/technical/corporate-reporting/uk-gaap/changes-to-uk-gaap
• ICAEW: Changes to UK GAAP Conference - https://www.icaew.com/learning-and-development/events/corporate-reporting-conference
• ICAEW podcasts - https://www.icaew.com/insights/podcast

Host
Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Liam Conway, Co-Founder, Greenfield Energy Group
• Ian Pay, Head of Data Analytics, ICAEW
• Fahad Asgar, Technical Manager, Corporate Reporting, ICAEW 

Producer
Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead
Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 6 May
Podcast recorded: 29 April

AI is already having an impact on the make-up of audit teams and there’s some evidence it’s already reducing the number of junior roles. But it’s all still new, and developing all of the time. What about the medium and longer term effects? How might it change training and career paths and will it ultimately boost or diminish the appeal of a career in accountancy?

We’re joined by a young accountant, an ex-accountant turned HR advisor, and the MD of a leading hiring firm in the audit and accounting sector, about how roles, skills and hiring practices are evolving, and what that means for the profession.

Links

ICAEW: Why we still need junior accountants in the age of AI - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/apr-2026/why-we-still-need-junior-accountants-and-how-their-role-might-change

Is There a Brain Drain in Auditing? - https://www.researchgate.net/publication/402277496_Modeling_the_Consequences_of_the_Auditors'_Leaving_the_Public_Accounting_Profession_Is_There_a_Brain_Drain_in_Auditing

ICAEW: How to stop accountancy's brain drain - https://www.icaew.com/insights/podcast/behind-the-numbers/how-to-stop-accountancys-brain-drain/transcript

ICAEW: How is AI transforming roles in industry? - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/apr-2026/how-is-ai-transforming-roles-in-industry

ICAEW podcasts - https://www.icaew.com/insights/podcast

Host
Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Lola Abitogun, Fractional HR Director
• George Oliver, Audit Associate, KPMG
• Chris Lawton, Group MD, Executive Search, Robert Half

Producer
Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead
Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 15 April
Podcast recorded: 11 March

We’ve already seen immediate spikes and fluctuations in the oil price and the wider financial and commodity markets.  But how will the UK economy be affected in the months to come and how heavy a price will British Business pay? RSM Chief Economist Tom Pugh shares his thoughts. 

Liz Barclay is Co-founder of Business 111, Special Adviser on Small Business & Entrepreneurship at the Institute of Directors and campaigner for tighter rules on late payments. She gives her views on the Government’s recently announced plans.

Finally, with demand growing for AI assurance, what does good actually look like?  Expert and Senior Programme Manager in Digital Ethics & AI at TechUK, Tess Buckley, fills us in.

Links
ICAEW: Iran conflict sends economic shockwave across the Gulf -https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/mar-2026/iran-conflict-sends-economic-shockwave-through-the-gulf

Oil prices to stay elevated across Iran War scenarios - https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/oil-prices-stay-elevated-across-iran-war-scenarios-2026-03-27/

Late payments consultation response - https://www.gov.uk/government/consultations/late-payments-tackling-poor-payment-practices/outcome/late-payment-consultation-time-to-pay-up-government-response-web-version

Government AI assurance roadmap - https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/trusted-third-party-ai-assurance-roadmap/trusted-third-party-ai-assurance-roadmap

Ensuring responsible AI development - https://www.techuk.org/resource/ensuring-responsible-ai-development-let-s-talk-about-ai-assurance.html

Host
Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Liz Barclay, Co-founder of Business 111, Special Adviser on Small Business & Entrepreneurship at the Institute of Directors
• Tess Buckley, Expert and Senior Programme Manager in Digital Ethics & AI at TechUK
• Tom Pugh, RSM Chief Economist

Producer
Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead
Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 1 April
Podcast recorded: 27 March

UK Sustainability Reporting Standards (UK SRS) are bringing sustainability reporting in line with international standards. So who will be mandated to use them and how will they apply in practice? The Financial Conduct Authority (FCA) is consulting on this at the moment. One of the people behind the international standards joins us and ICAEW’s Sustainability Reporting and Assurance Director to discuss the implications of this.

Links

UK Sustainability Reporting Standards - https://www.gov.uk/guidance/uk-sustainability-reporting-standards

FCA Consultation - https://www.fca.org.uk/publications/consultation-papers/cp26-5-sustainability-disclosures

IFRS Sustainability Disclosures navigator - https://www.ifrs.org/issued-standards/ifrs-sustainability-standards-navigator/

ICAEW Government publishes UK SRS - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/feb-2026/government-publishes-uk-sustainability-reporting-standards

Host

Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Ravi Abeywardana, ICAEW's Director of Sustainability Reporting and Assurance
• Richard Barker, a member of the International Sustainability Standards Board

Producer 

Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead

Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 10 March
Podcast recorded: 9 February

There’s just one month to go till Making Tax Digital kicks in for Income Tax; we take a look at how the transition will go. There’s also a lot happening in corporate reporting at the moment – Sally Baker brings us up to speed.

Links

• ICAEW: Making Tax Digital - https://www.icaew.com/technical/tax/making-tax-digital
• ICAEW: MTD: How to prepare your clients - https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2026/jan-2026/mtd-how-to-prepare-your-clients
• ICAEW: FRC issues amendments to FRS 102 and FRS 105 - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/mar-2026/frc-issues-amendments-to-frs-102-and-frs105
• ICAEW: Government publishes UK Sustainability Reporting Standards - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/feb-2026/government-publishes-uk-sustainability-reporting-standards
• Regulation plan update: Modernisation of Corporate Reporting - https://questions-statements.parliament.uk/written-statements/detail/2025-10-21/hcws973
• ICAEW: UK adopts IFRS 18 - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2025/dec-2025/landmark-moment-for-financial-reporting-as-uk-adopts-ifrs-18
• ICAEW: IFRS 18 fact sheet (ICAEW members only) - https://www.icaew.com/restrictedmedia?mediaItemId=03545ebb-a068-48eb-b50c-13eede0e3804

Host

Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Sally Baker, Head of Corporate Reporting Strategy, ICAEW
• Rebecca Benneyworth, ICAEW Chartered Accountant

Producer 

Natalie Chisholm

Series Lead

Mark Rowland

Episode first published: 4 March

Podcast recorded: 23 and 25 February

This episode looks at routes to the C-suite, and the traits, skills and capabilities you’ll need to get you there. Accountants are highly represented in the C-suite, with one in four CEOs holding the qualification according to research by Robert Half.

However, the working world is going through rapid technological and cultural transformation. So how is that changing the competencies that organisations look for in their leaders?  And how can you best prepare yourself for taking on those roles in the future?

Transcript

Read the full transcript of this episode here - https://www.icaew.com/insights/podcast/behind-the-numbers/how-to-get-to-the-c-suite/transcript

Links

ICAEW: Soft skills for leaders (CPD) - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2025/jul-2025/free-cpd-soft-skills-for-leaders

ICAEW: Traits of modern CFOs - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2024/jul-2024/what-traits-make-up-the-modern-cfo

ICAEW: Eight lessons from my first year as CFO - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/feb-2026/eight-lessons-from-my-first-year-as-a-cfo

ICAEW: How to deal with team conflict - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/jan-2026/management-skills-how-to-deal-with-team-conflict

Host

Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Neil Cutting, Transformation Director at Oracle
• Zana Goic Petricevic, leadership transformation expert
• Richard Davis, founder and CEO, FNLY

Producer

Natalie Chisholm 

Episode first published: 10 February 2026
Podcast recorded: 21 January 2026

This episode covers AI and tax work and ISA 600 on group audits, following the release of two pieces of guidance on the topics. 

With several tax cases in which AI has been used and provided incorrect or misleading information, we outline how to apply the five fundamental ethical principles to AI use. 

ISA 600 on group audits was revised, effective for audits of financial statements for periods commencing on or after 15 December 2023. These changes are quite wide ranging, particularly when it comes to the treatment of component auditors. We go through the details. 

Links:

ICAEW: Professional conduct in relation to taxation (PCRT) - https://www.icaew.com/technical/tax/working-in-tax/pcrt

ICAEW: Auditing groups of companies - https://www.icaew.com/technical/audit-and-assurance/audit/group-audit

HMRC v Gunnarsson - https://assets.publishing.service.gov.uk/media/688240632b6fd60b7c16100d/HMRC_v_Gunnarsson_final_decision.pdf

ICAEW: PCRT Guidance on ethical use of AI - https://www.icaew.com/technical/tax/working-in-tax/pcrt/topical-guidance-application-of-pcrt-to-ethical-use-of-artificial-intelligence-tools

ICAEW: Use of AI criticised in tax case - https://www.icaew.com/insights/tax-news/2025/aug-2025/use-of-ai-criticised-in-tax-case

ICAEW: Group auditing: nine key changes for auditors - https://www.icaew.com/insights/viewpoints-on-the-news/2026/jan-2026/group-auditing-nine-key-changes-for-auditors

Host

Philippa Lamb

Guests

• Sophie Wales, Director of Regulatory Policy at ICAEW
• Catherine Hardinge, Partner, Price Bailey    

Producer

Natalie Chisholm

Episode first published: 3 February 2026

Podcast recorded: 28 January 2026