National Assembly for Wales nominates interim Auditor General
10 February 2010
Assembly Members have this afternoon (10 Feb) backed the nomination of an interim Auditor General.
Gillian Body, who currently works as a Managing Partner with the Wales Audit Office (WAO) and is a member of the WAO Executive Committee, will take over the role as soon as the Queen makes the appointment.
She will serve in an interim capacity while the National Assembly for Wales’ Public Accounts Committee (PAC) undertakes a full appointments process to find a permanent replacement for the role.
“The Public Accounts Committee has acted swiftly to ensure that this very important role is filled as quickly as possible by a high calibre candidate,” said PAC Chair Jonathan Morgan AM.
“That’s why we recommended that Gillian Body should take on the role while the committee begins the search for a permanent replacement through an open and transparent appointments process.”
PAC moved to make this interim appointment after the resignation of Jeremy Colman last week.
“Thanks to the hard work and professionalism of staff, the Wales Audit Office continues to provide high quality and independent work to help improve public services in Wales. While we have gone through a difficult period recently, I am confident that we have a sound platform in which to move the organisation forward. And, I will build on the positive steps that are already underway to improve the running of the WAO,” said Ms Body .
GILLIAN BODY BIOGRAPHY:
Gillian Body was born in Thames Ditton in Surrey and was educated at Tormead Girls School. She subsequently graduated at the University of Wales (Lampeter) with a BA (hons) in History. Gillian then followed her early interest in economics by joining the National Audit Office as a trainee in 1981- gaining extensive experience in value for money and financial audit work in the public sector.
Upon qualifying as a CIPFA accountant in 1986, she took on responsibility for computer audit of the Inland Revenue and Customs and Excise, going on to manage a large number of value for money audits in the areas of tax, police and the courts. In the early 1990s, Gillian headed up the NAO’s Corporate Policy Unit before spending six months on secondment in Dublin with the Irish Audit Office- assisting in the start-up of their value for money function.
A further secondment to the Australian National Audit office followed, including a period working with a Commonwealth Parliamentary Committee. Upon her return in 1995, Gillian was promoted to the Director grade within the National Audit Office, also gaining experience as a Unit Resource Director and directing a number of value for money examinations in further and higher education and the heritage/lottery fields.
Following devolution in Wales in 1999, Gillian joined the NAO Wales to take on the important role of setting up the Office’s capacity to undertake value for money examinations across the full range of activities undertaken by the National Assembly for Wales, and to support the new scrutiny function of the Assembly’s Audit Committee. Gillian was promoted to Assistant Auditor General for Wales in 2004. Joining the Wales Audit Office on its formation in 2005, she has continued to build on her vast value for money audit experience as an Engagement Partner with responsibilities for major national performance audits across the Welsh public sector as well as local performance audits in health. Gillian is currently Managing Partner for Performance Audit, and a member of the Wales Audit Office Executive Committee.