Official visit of SOEL–IESOEL to the ICAEW headquarters in London
On 25th September 2025, an official visit of the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Greece (SOEL) and the Institute of Education of SOEL (IESOEL) took place at the offices of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) in London, following an invitation from the ICAEW’s new Chief Executive Officer, Mr. Alan Vallance.
The President of SOEL, Mr. Apostolos Polyzos, expressed his sincere thanks to the ICAEW for the organization of the meeting, the warm welcome and hospitality, as well as his great pleasure for this visit, which aimed at the exchange of views on the ongoing and highly successful cooperation between the two Institutes, and on the latest developments in the audit profession in Greece, the United Kingdom and Europe at large.
The President of IESOEL, Mr. Charilaos Alamanos, commented on the successful cooperation between the two Institutes and expressed how pleased he was woth the warm welcome of the whole delegation which was comprised of Mr. Panayiotis Alamanos, Member of the Supervisory Council of SOEL, Ms. Despina Lekka, Director of Education of SOEL / IESOEL, and Ms. Maria Tyrovola, Head of International Affairs of SOEL.
The Greek representatives were welcomed by Mr. Derek Blair, President of ICAEW, Mr. Alan Vallance, Chief Executive Officer, ICAEW, Ms. Christiana Diola, Director Europe ICAEW, and Ms. Sarah Prescott, Senior Manager, International Relationships, ICAEW.
The meeting was also honored by the presence of Ms. Paraskevi Kabouroglou, Minister Plenipotentiary for Economic and Commercial Affairs at the Embassy of Greece in London.
The discussions began with a general exchange on the economic and trade relations between the United Kingdom, Greece and the European Union, as well as on the crucial role of the audit profession in supporting sustainable growth and prosperity across Europe. Subsequently, reference was made to developments in the profession in Greece, with a particular focus on the new requirements for sustainability reporting, changes in taxation and the renewal of the SOEL certification curriculum, which will take effect after June 2027.
On behalf of the ICAEW, the latest developments in the UK audit profession were presented, with particular emphasis on the research conducted in 2025 regarding the impact of private equity and the growth prospects of mid-tier audit firms. The discussion focused on the importance of developing new skills, the growing emphasis on ESG, strengthening technological capacity and protection against cybersecurity risks.
Furthermore, the new ICAEW training film “Crossing the Line” was presented, highlighting key issues of ethics, integrity and corporate governance. The discussions also addressed the Accredited Membership Programme (AMP) and the Pathways, which enable Greek Certified Public Accountant to obtain ICAEW certification, with participation levels showing significant growth. Finally, SOEL reaffirmed its commitment to its participation in the Quality Assurance Network (QAN), which fosters the exchange of expertise and best quality assurance practices at European level.
The visit concluded with a tour at the historic ICAEW Chartered Accountants’ Hall, a cornerstone of the audit profession in the United Kingdom since 1887.
