John Thornton announced as 39th President of AAT

John Thornton has been announced as AAT’s 39th President, succeeding Vernon Anderson in the role. He will remain AAT President until September 2020, with David Frederick taking over his role as Vice President.

He , including being a spokesman and main policy analyst on housing, higher education and performance measurement for the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) in the early 1980s. Since then, he has worked in director and managing director roles at firms including the Institute of Public Finance, the Improvement and Development Agency and e-ssential Resources, a specialist consultancy firm he founded in 2005.

John is an independent advisor and writer on business transformation, innovation and finance, and has extensive board level experience in both the public and private sectors. He writes a monthly column called "Technology Watch" for Public Finance magazine.

Following his appointment, John said: “I am extremely proud to have been elected President of AAT.

“I’ve hugely enjoyed my time as Vice President over the past year, meeting AAT members at branches throughout the country and supporting Vernon in his role. AAT has made a tremendous difference to the lives of thousands of students past and present, and I look forward to leading the organisation as it continues to help the industry meet the challenges and opportunities of an ever-evolving business environment.”

Biography: John Thornton

• 1982 – Assistant Secretary, The Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA)
• 1984 – Managing Consultant, London Docklands Development Corporation (Secondment)
• 1984 – Executive Director, CSL
• 1991 – Director of Consultancy and Managed Services, MMC
• 1992 – Managing Director, Institute of Public Finance (IPF)
• 2001 – Director of e-Government and e-Envoy for Local Government, Improvement and Development Agency (IDeA)
• 2005 – Managing Director, e-ssential Resources
• 2018 – Vice President, AAT
• 2019 – President, AAT