ICAS’s top Scottish accountants under 35 in profile

The global body of finance professionals said the list, which includes entries spanning six continents, recognises “the best and brightest Chartered Accountants who are making a difference to the profession and to society”.

For the next 15 days Scottish Financial News will be profiling each of the Scottish representatives.

Today we profile: Jamie Davidson CA, 34, associate director, Johnston Carmichael, Edinburgh, who is nominated in the Sustainability & CSR catagory.

More information on ICAS’s 35 Chartered Accountants (CAs) under 35.

Jamie Davidson CA, 34, Associate Director, Johnston Carmichael, Edinburgh.

Jamie Davidson is an Associate Director with Chartered Accountants, Johnston Carmichael and has a long history of involvement in CSR and Sustainability activities. As Deputy Convener of the ICAS Sustainability Committee, in 2014, Jamie received a National Award from his then employer, Baker Tilly, for his fundraising efforts.

Jamie is currently finishing building a three bedroom, upside down, Eco-House in East Ayrshire. The key to an Eco-house is quality insulation and with triple glazing the house can be heated by a single candle. The renewable highlights of the house include a ground source heat pump which provides under floor heating and hot water, heat recovery system and solar PV. Jamie has worked on the house with the help of his uncle and dad as well as local contractors when required.

Jamie is a member of Townhead Community Church in Newmilns and chairs a small team of co-ordinators who are responsible for putting on free events for the benefit of the local community. Highlights include a Burns Supper and Ceilidh, a Family Fun Day and the popular Quiz and Curry Night. Jamie teaches the Good News Club (Sunday School) and helps organise the week long annual Sunday School camp in Arbroath at the start of July (Daisy has been counting down the days since March). Jamie also assisted Scripture Union with the Ayrshire Camp at Lendrickmuir in May this year.

In 2012, Jamie went to the Philippines with four friends (Callum, Zara, Stuart and Katie) to build houses on a dump site in Smokey Mountain for two weeks with charity Philippine Community Fund (PCF), which works to tackle poverty and end child labour. The small team managed to build five houses in the time they were there and organised a local joiner to build a sixth house after they returned to the UK.

Jamie has maintained links with the Philippines and the team sponsor Ariel through school. Ariel helped the team on the dump site but wasn’t able to go to school with the other children as he didn’t have a birth certificate. The team paid the admin fee for the birth certificate for 5,000 Peso (circa. £5) and Ariel has been doing well in school ever since. The team sponsors Brenda through College. Brenda acted as the team’s translator while the team were in Tondo. Jamie also sponsors Giomarc and Jovanie through primary school through the PCF programme.

“I work in Corporate Finance for Johnston Carmichael specialising in infrastructure and renewable energy projects. I took the opportunity to work in renewable energy after visiting Canada in 1992 and being impressed at how advanced their recycling was in comparison to the UK which also inspired me to build an Eco-House. I am also passionate about community renewable energy projects and was involved in the Award Winning Point & Sandwick project - the largest wholly owned community renewable energy project in the UK and have been appointed to the Board of Neilston Development Trust on a pro bono basis.”