The Board
Appointed by the Department for Communities and Local Government, Commissioners independently oversee the Audit Commission’s remit. They come from a range of backgrounds and their appointments are reviewed regularly.
Chairman
Jeremy Newman, Chairman
Jeremy was appointed as Chairman of the Audit Commission on 1 October 2012. He is a chartered accountant by profession and the former Chief Executive (2008-2011) of BDO International. Prior to that, he was managing partner (2001-2008) of BDO’s UK firm, having joined that firm as a trainee in 1978 and becoming a partner in 1986. He has worked extensively in Audit and Corporate Finance and has acted for a wide range of businesses across a variety of industries.
He is a non executive board member of the Crown Prosecution Service Board and Chair of its Audit and Risk Committee; a director of SIB Group and a trustee of Adventure Capital Fund, its parent charity; Chair of the SIB Group Audit Committee and a member of the ACF Investment Committee. He is also the Chair of Trustees of a local Primary school and trustee of a number of private charitable trusts. His private sector interests include being non executive chair of TCS Global. He is also an Honorary Visiting Professor at CassBusinessSchool, Faculty of Management.
Deputy Chairman
Bharat Shah, Deputy Chairman
Bharat has been the Deputy Chairman of the Audit Commission since September 2007 and Chair of the Audit Committee since 2009. Currently, he is also Chairman of Nijjar Holdings Limited (T/A Freshways); Chairman of West Bromwich Building Society Staff Retirement Scheme; founder and Chairman of Smart-Sal Limited; a Non-Executive Director of Places for People Group; a Trustee of Paul Strickland Scanner Centre; and has been providing Business Consultancy and Executive Mentoring since 2002.
He has previously been the Chairman of two private equity backed businesses: the Sure Group (a long term property maintenance business); and the Picdar Group (a Digital Asset Management business); and a Non-Executive Director of the West Bromwich Building Society.
Bharat trained as a certified accountant and worked for Eastman Kodak for 27 years where he rose exponentially from ‘shop floor’ to the most senior executive position outside of the US in his role as the CEO of EAMER, Kodak Consumer Imaging and Vice President, Eastman Kodak. He was also a Vice President of Singer responsible for Europe, Africa, Middle East and Asia.
Commissioners
Janet Baker
Janet has been a Commissioner since 2010 and is also a member of the Audit Committee. Janet worked as a management consultant at Coopers & Lybrand, Ernst & Young and then as a Senior Partner at PA Consulting Group. She is an expert in all forms of organisational and commercial structuring and restructuring, including outsourcing and sale processes. In February 2012, Janet was appointed Crown Commercial Lead in the Cabinet Office, working on the development and delivery of new commercial models across government. She is also a non executive director on the Board of the Defence Support Group (MOD), Chair of its Remuneration Committee, and member of its Audit Committee; a non executive director on the Audit Committee of HM Treasury; a non executive director of the Board of the Rural Payments Agency and a member of its Audit Committee.
Brian Landers
Brian has been a Commissioner since 2010 and is also a member of the Audit Committee. He previously worked as Finance and Operations Director at Penguin Group UK, Group Finance Director at Habitat, Finance Director of the retail division at WH Smith and Chief Internal Auditor at Sainsbury’s. Brian is currently chairman of Companies House and a member of the Competition Appeal Tribunal. His public appointments have included Finance Director of HM Prison Service and Deputy Chairman of the Financial Ombudsman Service and he was until recently UK Treasurer of Amnesty International.
Councillor Robert Light
Robert has been a Commissioner since 2011 and is a member of the Audit Committee. Robert has been a Kirklees Councillor since 1987 and Conservative Group Leader since 2000. He was the Leader of Kirklees Council from 2006 to 2009 and was the first Chair of the Leeds City Region. He has also been Chair of the West Yorkshire Fire and Rescue Service. A leading member of the Local Government Association, Robert is Deputy Chair and a member of the Leadership Board, Executive Board and Children and Young People Board. He is also Deputy Chairman of the Environment Agency.
Councillor Robert Anderson
Robert Anderson was appointed to the Audit Commission Board in 2012 and was appointed to the Audit Committee in 2013. Cllr Anderson has been a Labour councillor for 16 years, and has been Leader of Slough Borough Council since 2008. In a career of over 30 years he has worked for blue-chip communication technology companies in the UK and the Netherlands, holding various finance and accounting roles.
Councillor Adrian Collett
Adrian was appointed to the Commission in January 2013 and has been a councillor since 1980. He has been Leader of Hart District Council, Chair of Hampshire County Council’s Roads & Development Committee and was Leader of the Liberal Democrat Opposition on Hampshire for 12 years. He is currently Chair of Blackwater & Hawley Town Council. He was also a member of Hampshire Police Authority for 23 years and was Chair of the Authority at the time of its abolition in 2012. Before committing himself full time to local government, Adrian was a retail manager for MacFisheries and Mac Market Supermarkets.
Nicola Scrivings
Nicola was appointed to the Commission in January 2013. She spent much of her career in the Royal Mail, including a Commercial role with Parcelforce Worldwide and Marketing Director, and more recently as Regional Operations Director. She is also currently a Non Executive Director of Cambridgeshire Community Service NHS Trust, Chair of CHS Group, and a Trustee for the Cambridge Cyrenians.
Andrea Sutcliffe
Andrea was appointed to the Commission in January 2013. She joined SCIE as Chief Executive in April 2012 and was previously Chief Executive of the Appointments Commission for four years. Prior to that, Andrea was Deputy Chief Executive at the National Institute for Health and Clinical Excellence (NICE). Andrea’s career started in the health service at Tower Hamlets Health Authority in 1986, progressing to Bloomsbury and Islington Health Authority. In 1992 she moved to Camden and Islington Community Health Services, managing services for older people; and then to St. George’s Healthcare NHS Trust, as General Manager for Children, Women and Neurosciences Services. Before joining NICE, Andrea was also an Assistant Director in the Social Services Department for the London Borough of Camden.
Ruth Thompson
Ruth was appointed to the Commission in January 2013. She has held various senior and key positions across Whitehall, including as Interim Chief Executive, Partnerships for Schools, Director General of Higher Education at the Department for Innovation, Universities and Skills and Director of Higher Education Strategy at the Department for Education and Skills. She is a member of the Moat Homes Ltd Board, Vice Chair of London TravelWatch and is a governor at Staffordshire University, Birkbeck and the University of London.
Downloads
Declaration of Interest – Jeremy-Newman
Declaration of Interest – Bharat Shah
Declaration of Interest – Cllr Robert Anderson
Declaration of Interest – Janet Baker
Declaration of Interest – Cllr Adrian Collett
Declaration of Interest – Brian Landers
Declaration of Interest – Cllr Robert Light
Declaration of Interest – Nicola Scrivings
Declaration of Interest – Andrea Sutcliffe
Declaration of Interest – Ruth Thompson