14 May, 2021

So you want to chair an audit committee?

Chairing an audit committee is a natural progression for many non-executives. But what’s involved in stepping up to supervise the auditors and the accounts?

Boardroom. Photo: Alex, Flickr

Where do you start? The requirement for a non-financial services company is that you can demonstrate "recent and relevant financial experience". This is generally interpreted to mean that you have some form of financial qualification, and can refer to a business role in which you have practised financial expertise. Beyond this, audit committee chairs can be varied. The vast majority have an accountancy qualification, although some boards will appoint a non-executive with banking or actuarial experience. In my experience that is unlikely to occur through a search process, but more through being in place on the board as a general non-e

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audit committee chairman, board careers, CFOs, finance, non-executive directors