Biography

Mike has over 25 years audit and assurance experience from working both in the UK and New Zealand. As head of internal audit for a number of clients in the not-for-profit and public sectors, Mike has had significant experience in the following areas in support of his clients: corporate governance, risk management and board assurance, ensuring compliance with government regulatory requirements and provision of due diligence support.

Trained in the UK by one of the ‘Big 4’, Mike worked as a financial accountant in industry before resettling in New Zealand to provide audit and assurance services across a range of NZ public sector organisations. Back in the UK, Mike joined the former FEFC (now the Education and Skills Funding Agency) undertaking inspections of financial management and governance in FE Colleges and a number of whistleblowing investigations. Within RSM since 2001, Mike has focused on delivering internal audit and advisory services to clients in the education, central government and arts sectors, including 25 FE and HE institutions, The National Archives and the Royal Opera House.

Mike was the founding editor of RSM’s termly Back to School Report for the academy sector, a role recently taken over by Hannah Catchpool. Mike also wrote the first Joint Audit Code of Practice on behalf of the Education and Skills Funding Agency and Education Funding Agency for the FE sector, and edited RSM's Board Assurance Toolkit for the FE sector. Mike has been a regular speaker at national and regional seminars in the education sector, particularly in relation to the development of Board Assurance frameworks.