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News release

Grant Thornton’s Sarah Howard appointed new CIPFA president

Leading business and financial adviser Grant Thornton UK LLP is delighted to announce that Sarah Howard, head of public services, has become president of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA).

Sarah succeeds Andy Burns, Director of Finance and Resources at Staffordshire County Council, who has been in the role for the past year.

Sarah will begin her 12-month term as president on 11 July with a welcome speech to the 2018 CIPFA conference.

Following on from the recent announcement of Jon Roberts’ appointment as Head of Assurance at Grant Thornton, this latest news reinforces the firm’s commitment to the public sector.

Sarah heads Grant Thornton’s public services practice and is also a member of the firm’s Strategic Leadership Team. Public services are central to Grant Thornton’s purpose of shaping a vibrant economy in which people, communities and businesses can thrive. 

Sarah says:

“Public services continue to operate under incredible pressure and have demonstrated resilience, adaptability and exciting innovation. CIPFA has a unique opportunity to inspire the next generation of public servants, rebuild trust within our society, and convene collaborative conversations that help public service organisations and business develop sustainable futures for local communities”

Rob Whiteman, Chief Executive of CIPFA, commented:

““Today’s public services face a raft of challenges, from the continuing squeeze on budgets to changing and increasing demand. But for those responsible for delivering services, there are also opportunities to seize that will help not only meet current demand, but enable the transformation of services so that they’re both optimal and truly sustainable.

“Understanding this context and seeing those opportunities will be vital for those shaping the sector over years to come. And for this reason, I am absolutely delighted that Sarah will be our new President. Her knowledge, insight and experience is second to none and commitment to public services has been demonstrated time and time again, which has led to deep and genuine respect from peers right across the sector.”