Leading lights on national stage

May 18 2007

By The Journal

In its 125-year history, the Northern Society of Chartered Accountants has provided two national presidents of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales. The first was Robert P Winter in 1963, followed by Sir Kenneth Sharp, who held the distinction of being the youngest ICAEW president when he took office 11 years later at the age of 47. Mr Winter, a partner in the Newcastle firm of Winter Robinson Sisson & Benson, had earlier served as NSCA president from 1940 to 1942 and again in 1951. Sir Kenneth, who began his career with James Watson & Son, Carlisle, went on to become head of the Government Accountancy Service. John Collier is another with strong North-East links who achieved national prominence with the Institute. While a partner with Price Waterhouse, Newcastle, Mr Collier was NSCA president in 1989 and an ICAEW Council member, before taking over as the Institute's full-time secretary general from 1998 to 2002. The Northern Society has been represented on the Institute's Council since 1882, the present incumbents being NSCA past presidents Bill Graham and Robin Liddell, and Victoria Tait, a former Cumberland branch chairman.