Audit and Risk Committee

The aim of the committee is to advise the Accounting Officer (the Commissioner) on the strategic processes concerning risk management and governance.

Read about the committee’s remit in their terms of reference.

The Audit and Risk Committee usually meets four times a year. The members are Mair Gwynant (chair), Jayne Woods, Liz Aitken, and Alan Davies.

Members of the Audit and Risk Committee

Mair Gwynant

Mair Gwynant is a chartered accountant with significant experience of working across the public, private and third sector. She has worked in senior roles within the Welsh Government, the Welsh European Funding Office, the Wales Co-operative Centre and Deloitte Touche LLP developing a specific interest and expertise in relation to public sector governance, EU regulations, charities and social businesses.

In 2013, she established her own consultancy business advising on all aspects of financial management, governance, and organisational development. She is also a non-executive director of the Pen y Cymoedd Wind Farm Community Fund.

Mair is the chair of the audit and risk committee since July 2021.

Liz Aitken

Liz has 38 years experience in public sector finance. She has been the accountant for, and adviser to, a police authority, fire brigade, magistrates courts service, probation service, trading standards service, coroners service and an emergency planning service. Liz has for many years been the lead officer for Internal and External Audit services and has extensive experience of annual financial and performance audits - both with private companies and the Wales Audit Office.

Alan Davies

His early career was in the Army, retiring as a Major after 18 years service, where he was responsible for strategic military planning for global intervention operations and rescues.

Alan’s final executive appointment was as the Group Managing Director of the Farmers’ Union of Wales where he had addressed the challenges that the farming industry faced as a result of Brexit whilst also establishing and implementing new operating structures and governance arrangements to better prepare the Union for the future.

Jayne Woods

Jayne is a chartered accountant and specialises in providing financial, risk and governance advice in the public sector. She is a non-executive director in several organisations in the education sector including Qualifications Wales and the Tertiary Education and Research Commission and is a member of the Arts Council of Wales capital committee. She has significant experience of serving on audit and risk committees and has worked in the public and private sectors on a wide variety of financial matters. Previously, she was Chief Finance Officer for the Police Commissioner and a consultant and auditor at Deloitte.