TAKEAWAYS
When people think about a professional body, they often think of standards, qualifications, compliance and credentials. These matter deeply as they are the foundation of trust in our profession. But, if that is all a professional body is, it can start to feel distant, rigid and transactional.
That is not the future I want for ISCA.
My vision, and I believe the Membership Committee’s vision as well, is for ISCA to be a living community – one that is trusted and respected, and also welcoming, relevant and human; a community where members do not simply renew subscriptions or attend courses, but find connection, support, purpose and opportunity.
Inclusivity is not about lowering standards; it is about widening belonging while continuing to uphold the integrity and quality that define the Chartered Accountant (CA) designation. Maintaining trust in the profession must always remain paramount. As we broaden participation and create more pathways for engagement, we must also ensure that professional standards, competence and ethical expectations remain strong. The balance between quality and inclusivity is therefore critical. One should strengthen, not weaken, the other.
It also means asking who else should have a place in this community, how we support members at different stages of life and career, and how we keep ISCA meaningful in a profession that is evolving rapidly.
I often come back to one simple idea, namely, a stronger community creates stronger member value. ISCA’s membership grew to 43,500, renewal rates remained strong at 98.3%, 206 events were held, attendance reached 16,700, and visits to ISCA House grew to 30,000. Behind these numbers is a clear message – members still want connection. They still want spaces where they can learn, exchange ideas and feel part of something larger than themselves.
That is the starting point.
A thriving community cannot be rigid, because people’s needs are not rigid. Members are not all the same. Some are in public practice. Some are in business. Some are senior leaders. Some are just starting out. Some seek technical depth. Others need networks, visibility, confidence or simply a sense of belonging.
The future of membership is therefore not one-size-fits-all. It is not about asking every member to fit neatly into one mould. It is about building a professional home broad enough to reflect different identities, different journeys and different ways of contributing.
For the Membership Committee, this means thinking about inclusion in practical ways.
First, we must keep ISCA relevant to a wider range of members. The profession has evolved. Accountants today do far more than audit, report and compliance work. They contribute in strategy, governance, risk, sustainability, technology, business transformation and enterprise leadership. If ISCA is to remain vibrant, our community must reflect the full breadth of where professional talent now sits.
Second, we must create more ways for different communities to engage meaningfully with ISCA. Our many events are not just activities on a calendar. At their best, they bring people together around real issues, peer learning and shared purpose.
Third, we must strengthen the link between community and pipeline. A membership body should not only serve those who are already established, it should also help shape the future. A thriving community must span generations. It must welcome students, support young professionals, create room for mid-career reinvention, and continue honouring senior members who still seek purpose and connection.
Fourth, we must make community more visible in the everyday member experience. If members only encounter ISCA during renewals, compliance exercises or formal events, the relationship will naturally feel limited. A thriving community needs more regular, more varied and more human touchpoints.
Fifth, inclusivity must extend beyond the profession’s traditional boundaries. A strong professional body should not only look inward. It should also ask how the profession can contribute to society, and how that shared purpose can bring members together in more meaningful ways.
So, what does this mean for the Membership Committee?
It means our role is not merely administrative. It is not only to manage categories, approvals and processes. Our role is to help shape the culture of belonging at ISCA while safeguarding the standards and trust that members and the public expect of the profession.
We must keep asking important questions. Who feels included today, and who does not? Which members are engaging deeply, and which are falling silent? Where are the gaps between what ISCA offers and what members truly need? How do we protect the trust behind the CA designation while making the wider ISCA community more open, dynamic and relevant?
That balance matters. Trust, competence and professional standards remain central to member value. But trust alone is not enough to build a thriving community. People also need connection, access, recognition and a sense of possibility.
My hope is that members will increasingly see ISCA not as an institution they have to interact with, but as a community they want to be part of – a place where there is room for serious ideas and human warmth, where standards remain strong and the member experience becomes more open, relevant and alive.
A thriving community is never stagnant because it is always listening, always evolving and always creating new ways for people to connect and contribute.
That is the future I believe in for ISCA. Not a narrower definition of who belongs, but a broader and more confident one. Not a rigid body that only looks inward, but a vibrant community that grows stronger by bringing more people in. Not a membership that is static, but one that continually renews its value through relevance, trust and connection.
If we get this right, ISCA will not only remain respected, it will remain needed. More importantly, it will remain a community where people are proud to belong.
Belinda Teo is Chairperson, Membership Committee, ISCA.
