Henry Cooper FMAAT has been named as the new President of AAT (Association of Accounting Technicians), the leading professional education and membership body for accounting staff.
Henry was installed as President at the Association’s AGM on 18 May. As President, he will be a key AAT ambassador, speaking at events – both within the UK and overseas – and promoting the benefits of professional education and training within the accountancy profession.
Elected to fellow membership in 2004, Henry has been an active member of the AAT Council since 2006 after serving as an appointed member of its Members’ Services Board. He is still an active member of the Milton Keynes and Bedford Branch, for which he has also acted as Chairman.
Henry initially finished school with one O-Level. He completed the AAT qualification after working at the Royal Mail and Fremantle Trust, before taking a position at Quanta Consultancy Services, supporting its UK and European divisions.
In 2001, he decided to become a member in practice – establishing BirchCooper Accounting Services which provides small businesses and start-ups with a full range of accountancy services.
“My experience has made me a strong supporter of the AAT’s Members in Practice scheme and I thrive on any opportunity to speak about and promote the programme,” Henry said.
Speaking of his new voluntary role, Henry said: “I want to be an accessible President. I’m keen to meet as many students and members as possible. I hope to do this, not just by the usual means, but by using social media and other channels as well.
“To be President of such a well-established and respected professional body is a privilege. The AAT qualification is world class.
“If I want to see one thing change, it’s the misconceptions by many of our members who think they have to achieve chartered status in order to be viewed as a credible accountant. These people often don’t realise that they can stay with AAT throughout their entire career, continuing their learning and development along the way,” Henry said.
Speaking of Henry’s appointment, AAT Chief Executive Jane Scott Paul said: “I am delighted to be able to introduce Henry as our new President. He has been an outstanding Vice President over the past year and I have all the confidence that he will continue to shine as he takes on this new role.”