Appointment of Non-Executive Members to Audit Committees and Boards

The Department of Finance has announced the appointment of three Non-Executives to its Audit Committees and Board.

Mr John Smyth, Mrs Elizabeth Ensor and Mr Tom Taylor have each been appointed for a three-year term with effect from 1 September 2017.

Audit Committees and Boards exist to oversee the work of each department and ensure that appropriate controls are in place.  Non-Executive Members play an extremely important role in this respect, as they bring a fresh and objective viewpoint to the work of these structures. 

The new appointees will receive remuneration of £500 per day and will be expected to work up to 25 days annually.

Notes to editors: 

1. Details of the responsibilities of the department can be found on the Department of Finance website. 
2. John Smyth is a Chartered Director and Corporate Governance specialist with extensive board level experience in the public and private sectors. He has served as Chair of audit and investment committees and been a member of risk, remuneration and nomination committees. John has recently been an independent member of the Departmental Board of the Department of Education as well as the Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee and is currently an independent Non-Executive Director of IPB Insurance Ltd where he has been appointed as Chair of the Audit Committee.     
3. Liz Ensor has a wide range of experience in Finance, Corporate Governance and Human Resources working as a Board Director over the last 25 years in the voluntary and private sectors and as a Non-Executive Director in the public and third sectors. She has achieved significant success in leading major change initiatives, strategic planning, acquisitions and mergers. Liz has recently been Group Operations Director of Domestic Care Group and a Non-Executive Director of the board of the Northern Health and Social Care Trust, a member of the Audit, Assurance and Risk Committees, and the Board representative on the Adoption Panel. Currently she is a self-employed consultant in employee relations, working with the voluntary and financial sectors and a Non-Executive Director with AddictionNI.
4. Tom Taylor is a dual qualified accountant with significant board level experience.  He has worked in the public, private and third sectors and has served on many audit, finance, remuneration and nomination committees in both executive and non-executive capacities. Tom has over twenty five years’ experience at Board level as Chair, Non-Executive director, Advisory Board Member, Chief Executive, Finance Director and Commercial Director. He is currently Wales Chair of the Consumer Council for Water and a Non-Executive Director at the Office of Qualifications and Examinations Regulations (Ofqual), where he chairs the Finance Committee and provides advice to the Audit and Risk Committee.   
5. These appointments have been made on merit and political activity played no part in the selection process. All appointees have declared that they have not engaged in any political activity in the last five years.

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