Former ICAEW operations chief heads up BCS

BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT has appointed Sharron Gunn as its new group chief executive officer. Gunn takes over leadership from interim CEO Rob Deri, and she has been working for BCS since February to transform its learning and development and membership divisions. 

She previously worked for 23 years at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW). For the past three years, Gunn was the organisation’s chief operating officer where she focused on enhancing organisational efficiency and leading the redesign of the professional membership organisation’s ACA accountant qualification redesign.

According to her LinkedIn profile, during her time at ICAEW, Gunn created the Academy of Professional Development and championed several equality, diversity and inclusion initiatives, including the Women in Leadership programme. She also led the ICAEW’s involvement in Rise, an initiative aimed at enhancing social mobility by equipping young people with essential business skills.  

She said the team at the ICAEW influenced policy in the public interest by leveraging “the deep technical insight and real-world experiences of our members”.

At BCS, she has been working to transform its learning and development and membership divisions.

Commenting on Gunn’s role as the new CEO, BCS president Daljit Rehal said: “Sharron brings unrivalled experience in maximising the impact and influence of professional bodies. She has a clear vision for developing the breadth of BCS’ membership and for ensuring the tech profession is seen as a trusted partner across industry and government.  My thanks on behalf of our entire community go to Rob as interim CEO for his commitment to the cause of Making IT Good for Society.” 

Outgoing interim CEO Rob Deri said: “Sharron will be an outstanding CEO with the dedication to ensure BCS brings together professionals in diverse areas from cyber security to government to academia, who all share the ambition to make the voice of our profession heard where it matters.” 

Gunn’s ambition is that people who work in IT will consider BCS as a core part of their profession. She said: “It is a huge privilege to be asked to lead the professional body for IT, at a time when emerging technologies like AI and quantum computing are transforming society and the economy. 

“That’s why focussing on the value of professional qualifications, certifications and Chartered status, as a way of demonstrating trust in our vital profession, is more important than ever before. We are already developing our five-year strategy to ensure BCS is in the best position to respond to dynamic policy and market changes, for example the creation of Skills England. 

“Even in the age of AI, technology is about the people leading and creating it. I want to make sure anyone working in a technology role can consider BCS their professional home. Joining our incredible membership community, including Fellowship, should be within reach of the broadest possible range of people, united by an aspiration to prove not just competence, but commitment to ethical practice and accountability.”

In April, the BCS submitted a response to the government’s consultation on the role of computer evidence in courts. In its submission to the call for evidence, BCS, The Chartered Institute for IT, said: “The presumption that computer-generated evidence is inherently reliable is increasingly unfit for purpose in modern criminal prosecutions.”