Leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP is pleased to announce the appointment of Fiona Baldwin as its new Head of Audit, a post which will now form part of the firm’s Strategic Leadership Team and report to the firm’s CEO.
Setting the tone and direction for the future of the firm’s audit practice, Fiona’s full-time leadership role will focus on driving quality at the core of the practice, overseeing investments to strengthen the firm’s capabilities and ensuring Grant Thornton’s audit practitioners have the skills and resources to deliver continuously great services.
With over 20 years’ experience in audit, Fiona’s most recent role was as Practice Leader for the Central Region, overseeing Grant Thornton’s operations in Milton Keynes, St. Albans and Leicester. She joined the firm in 2007, following a six-year career break during which she started her own small business whilst caring for her two small children. She qualified as ACA in 1995 and has led audit engagements across a broad range of industries, from publicly listed and larger corporates to social housing and pension schemes, both in the UK and internationally.
Dave Dunckley, CEO of Grant Thornton UK LLP, said: “Fiona’s technical expertise in audit, coupled with her leadership skills and experience will bring an invaluable perspective to both our audit practice, and in helping inform the future direction of the firm. The appointment comes at a time where the industry is facing unprecedented levels of change, which will require the dedication and resourcefulness Fiona possesses to help Grant Thornton navigate these changes and ensure our audit practice is fit for the future.”
Fiona Baldwin added: “Grant Thornton has a strong tradition in audit, providing services to businesses and public sector organisations across our economy and society. I’m delighted to become the firm’s first Head of Audit to join the Strategic Leadership Team, and look forward to ensuring that the changes that we are implementing in the firm and that are taking place across the industry result in the improvements in the quality of audit which our clients, the industry and wider stakeholders are calling for.”