A good auditor will provide both support and challenge to the company around its financial processes and probity. But what is the right balance to strike in building and maintaining this delicate relationship as a non-executive?
At this in person session we will share insights on keeping a positive but appropriate relationship with your external auditors, what happens when audit becomes ineffective and considerations around re-tendering or changing external auditor.
We will hear from :
Liz Blythe, multiple Audit Committee Chair and NED, who will share her experience in what works in maintaining a balanced relationship with your audit firm.
Eilish Jamieson, portfolio NED and former auditor, who will share her insights as a Non-Executive Director at the FRC on themes identified in enforcement investigations involving auditors as well as her wider experience as an auditor.
AND
Nick Morrison, PwC Partner and Audit lead for several complex listed businesses.
Chaired by Fiona Hathorn (our CEO), both panellists will also contribute a wider discussion including deciding when is the right time to change auditor, bringing in the audience’ experience.
Speakers
Eilish Jamieson
Eilish is an experienced finance professional, Non-Executive Director, and founder of a Leadership and Board Development Practice.
Currently she is a Non-Executive Director and member of the Audit Committee at the British Business Bank, an Independent Trustee and member of the Audit Committee at Plan International, and guest lecturer and facilitator on governance and leadership on executive education programmes at well-known business schools. She previously held NED roles at Sport England and the Financial Reporting Council, where she sat on the Case Management Committee. In 2016 Eilish launched her own Practice providing advisory, evaluation, training and executive coaching services to businesses mostly in the UK and Ireland, with a particular focus on governance, leadership, culture, and diversity.
Eilish’s 25-year executive career was spent in Audit and Finance roles in banking and professional services. She was Executive Director and Head of Audit at Goldman Sachs for over a decade where she had responsibility for global stakeholder relationships and led strategic initiatives around the bank’s change and transformation, culture, governance and diversity. A specialist in financial products and regulation, she led on the design and development of many of the banking risk and control transformations that resulted off the back of the financial crisis. She is a qualified Chartered Accountant and spent her early career working in external audit and advisory with KPMG in the UK and Australia.
Liz Blythe
Liz is an experienced portfolio NED. Currently she is a Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at Peel Hunt and also board Chair and Audit Committee Chair at Car Care Plan Holdings Ltd. Previously Liz also served as a Non-Executive Director and Audit Committee Chair at Together (loans, mortgages and finance) until June 2023.
A senior Audit, Risk and Finance executive with 25 years of experience of holding Board and regulatory approved positions in Financial Services. A qualified accountant, with specialist skills in the areas of Finance, Internal Audit, Risk and Governance, able to understand complex regulatory and business issues, and develop pragmatic solutions in a wide range of industries, including Financial Services, real estate, debt factoring and software development. A commercially focused, strategic thinker and high performance leader with strong technical skills and a proven track record of improving performance and delivering business results through collaborative leadership in complex, diverse and rapidly growing businesses.
Nick Morrison
Nick is a Partner at PwC, a Chartered Accountant and Auditor. He is the lead Audit Partner for a number of listed organisations and understands the importance of good but independent relationships with his audit clients. Nick has extensive experience leading audits and overseeing independent investigations having worked across multiple sectors and jurisdictions, including leading many audits within the listed Financial Services space.
This event is included in our Directors’ Circle membership. Current Directors’ Circle members have received a calendar invitation already – if you haven’t, please get in touch with Julia via contact@wbdirectors.co.uk
With thanks to our event host
