Speaker Evening

On Thursday 18th April, members and guests of the Rotary Club of South Queensferry enjoyed 'Accountancy, Auditing and the Art of Being Wrong' - a job talk by Morrison Handley-Schachler. Morrison and his wife Sybille joined the club last year. A Chartered Public Finance Accountant, Morrison achieved a doctorate in ancient history before training as an accountant. He worked for the Audit Commission in England and Wales and NHS Hospital Trusts before joining Scott-Moncrieff as an auditor. Morrison subsequently became a lecturer at Napier and Teesside Universities teaching auditing, financial accounting, fraud and financial crime. He returned to Napier University where he currently supervises  PhD students preparing theses as varied as financial risk, behavioural finance, accounting history and the history of Chinese accounting. Morrison's talk included many fascinating facts. The ancient Persians preferred flour to money as currency and in their carved tablets, the chief accountant was mentioned much more often than famous emperors like Darius and Xerxes. He emphasised that, to this day, the accountant's duty is to ensure a process of accountability, not to provide financial advice or hunt for fraud - though details which may arouse suspicion may emerge. In answer to a question from the floor, Morrison said on balance he preferred lecturing to practising accountancy.

Morrison was introduced by Junior Vice President Irene Brownless. The vote of thanks was proposed by Gerald Smith.