Azets partner appointed ICAEW Manchester chair

ICAEW Manchester has appointed Azets audit partner and regional managing partner Graham Rigby as its new chair.

His election was confirmed at ICAEW Manchester’s AGM, which took place at the Manchester offices of the accountancy firm Azets and his term will run for a year.

Rigby had served on the executive committee of MSCA/ICAEW Manchester since February this year, when he also became its deputy president.

As chair he will build on the work of Rod Sellers OBE and Michael Colin, who had served respectively as president and chair of its predecessor organisation since May 2022.

The AGM also saw ICAEW Manchester adopt a resolution to become a network within the institutional structure of the wider ICAEW.

This will in effect replace the Manchester Society of Chartered Accountants (MSCA), which operated under the name ‘ICAEW Manchester’.

Rigby said: “It is a real honour to become Chair of ICAEW Manchester, and I look forward to further deepening our connections with members, the wider business community, academia and Greater Manchester society at large.

“I would like to thank both Rod and Michael for the work they have done over the past year to cement our position as a leading voice for our profession in and around the city. I wish them both all the best and, while they might be hoping for a well-deserved rest, I have to warn them that I suspect I and my fellow council members will find ourselves calling on their unrivalled experience and connections with the wider Greater Manchester community over the months ahead!”

He added: “The move to become an ICAEW network represents a significant change, constitutionally, as we move on from being a standalone society with a heritage of more than 150 years. However, this is an exciting phase which aligns us with the structures adopted by many of the other local networks across the UK and will give us access to greater resources and support provided by the ICAEW nationally.

“Our objectives remain unchanged – we are dedicated to serving our local community as the needs of our members, and of business, continue to evolve. My fellow committee members and I are looking forward to working closely with ICAEW’s North West regional director Justin Kyriakou and the rest of the team to make the most of the benefits that our new status will provide.”

ICAEW Manchester represents more than 6,000 Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) members in the Greater Manchester area.