Appointment of Michael Jary as the next Chair of the National Audit Office

Michael Jary CBE has today been announced by the Prime Minister and the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee (PAC) as the next chair of the National Audit Office (NAO).

Michael has been chosen following an open competition that was led by Parliament, with the preferred candidate chosen by a selection panel that included the Chair of PAC, the Comptroller and Auditor General for Jersey and the Permanent Secretary of the Treasury. He will succeed Dame Fiona Reynolds as the NAO Chair when her tenure ends, taking up the post from January 2027.

Michael Jary was one of the founding team of OC&C Strategy Consultants and served as the firm's Worldwide Managing Partner. He has been a strategy adviser to large companies for four decades.

His current board roles include non-executive director of Barclays Bank UK plc, non-executive director of Openreach, chair of Kensington Mortgages, and acting chair of The King's Foundation. Previous roles include non-executive director of Nationwide Building Society and chair of The Fairtrade Foundation.

Michael was previously the Government's Lead Non-executive Director and a member of the Cabinet Office Board. Prior to that, he was Lead Non-executive Director at the Ministry of Housing, Communities and Local Government.

The NAO Chair provides leadership and direction to the organisation's Board, setting its agenda and leading the non-executive members in providing constructive challenge and support to the NAO's executive management and the Comptroller and Auditor General (C&AG). The Chair ensures that the NAO meets the requirements of the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act, and the Board's own Code of Practice.

Michael Jary said: I am thrilled to be joining the National Audit Office as chair. Productivity, resilience and innovation in public services have never been more important. NAO supports Parliament's scrutiny of government, achieves a positive financial impact and makes a difference to people's lives.

"I am particularly looking forward to joining NAO's brilliant team of high-performing professionals. I hope to carry forward Dame Fiona Reynolds' example by providing strong leadership to the board and helping the NAO extend its impact even further.

Gareth Davies, Comptroller and Auditor General, said: I look forward to welcoming Michael Jary to the NAO Board as its Chair when Dame Fiona Reynolds' term ends in January 2027. 

I know that he will make a significant contribution to the NAO's mission as the UK's public spending watchdog, just as Fiona has in her six impactful years in the role." 

Dame Fiona Reynolds, current Chair of the NAO said: "I have loved being Chair of the NAO, and I wish my successor Michael Jary an equally rewarding and motivating term of office.  

"The NAO is a unique organisation, with an unparalleled opportunity not only to hold Government to account, but also to improve the way public money is put to use for public benefit."

Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee said: I would like to thank the significant number of candidates who were interested in this all-important role. All those we interviewed were outstanding. I would also like to thank my two fellow panellists in the appointment, James Bowler CB, Permanent Secretary of HM Treasury, and Lynn Pamment CBE, Comptroller and Auditor General of Jersey.

"In the end a decision had to be made, and I am delighted to announce Michael Jary CBE as the best candidate for the post. I would like to thank Dame Fiona Reynolds for her able years of service when she formally hands over the reins to Michael next year.

"Our Committee's scrutiny has long benefited from the superlative support of the NAO, and I am confident that Michael will provide that organisational challenge to ensure that it continues to perform at the very highest level into the future.

ENDS

Notes to editors

1. The NAO's governance arrangements are established under the Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act 2011 (BRANNA). The Board has a majority of non-executive members and is an effective and established part of the NAO's governance. The NAO's first Chair, Professor Sir Andrew Likierman, was appointed in 2011. The term of office of the current Chair, Dame Fiona Reynolds, will come to an end in January 2027. The NAO Chair serves for a period of three years, which may be extended for an additional three-year period. The Board comprises four non-executive directors in addition to the Chair, the Comptroller and Auditor General and three members of the NAO executive team.
2. The preferred candidate for the NAO Chair was identified by a panel chaired by Sir Geoffrey Clifton-Brown, MP, Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, James Bowler CB, Permanent Secretary at HMT and Lynn Pamment CBE, Comptroller and Auditor General of Jersey. The panel were assisted by Saxton Bampfylde as recruitment consultants. The recruitment process followed the principles of the Commission for Public Appointments. Following interviews, the Chair of the panel wrote to the Prime Minister recommending Michael Jary be appointed. Under the BRANNA, the Prime Minister is required to move the Motion for a Humble Address and he must have the agreement of the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.