Today’s meeting of the Audit and Standards Committee marked the end of an era when its independent chairman, John Bridgeman CBE, stepped down after over 20 years in the post.
Mr Bridgeman became Chairman of the Committee in late 2000, following a long and illustrious career in the international aluminium industry, becoming chief executive of British Aluminium plc. In 1995, he took a different path and began to take up a variety of roles in public organisations, starting with the post of Director General of the Office of Fair Trading in 1995.
In this role he oversaw the effectiveness of the legislation of over 30 bodies in the field of competition policy and consumer protection and it was here that Warwickshire first came on his radar, as the county won numerous awards for its excellence in supporting the OFT.
Whilst still at the OFT central government passed the Local Government Act in 2000, requiring all local authorities to establish a Standards Committee to deal with councillors' standards of behaviour.
In late 2000, John became the first independent chairman of the Standards Committee of Warwickshire County Council. Concerns around members’ conduct were very few so the committee evolved into the Audit and Standards Committee, covering both the finances of both the council and the Warwickshire Pension Fund. John has chaired that committee ever since, giving a staggering 24 years of committed service. During this time, John has provided strong and steady leadership of the committee, providing valuable challenge and insight to ensure that the Council continues to be a well-run and governed organisation.
John will continue to be busy in a variety of roles, notably as Vice President of the Chartered Trading Standards Institute. The links to Canada, made in his 30 years with British Aluminium, will be maintained with a position within the Anglo-Canadian thinktank Canada-UK Colloquium.
John said: “Having been chairman of audit committees in a number of organisations over the years, I know how fortunate I have been to enjoy the support in Warwickshire of a small team of conscientious fellow committee members drawn from all political groups as well as the support of many officers.
“For each meeting we study hundreds of pages of highly detailed financial and internal audit reports. It’s not a job for the faint-hearted but it demonstrates the commitment to doing the right thing and setting the highest standards across the organisation. Warwickshire is a very well-run council because of the standards set by its people. Despite the challenges facing the sector, I believe I leave the council in very good shape.”
Cllr Chris Mills, Chair of the Council, paid tribute to John Bridgeman’s service to Warwickshire, saying: “As an independent Chair of our Audit and Standards Committee, John never wavered in his commitment to helping us to be the very best council we could be, showing no fear or favour in scrutinising our finances and standards. As we move forwards after he steps down, we will take with us his principles and his work ethic so that the county continues to benefit from our long association with him. We wish him all the best in all his future endeavours.”
The appointments of the successful candidates for the roles of Independent Members on the Audit and Standards Committee, Martyn Burke and Sandip Shergill, will be ratified by Council on 17 December, with Mr Burke additionally recommended for appointment to the role of Chair.
Mr Burke is a qualified accountant and has previously held a number of senior roles in the private sector. He has considerable experience of chairing Audit and Risk Committees for other bodies. Ms Shergill is also a qualified accountant who has experience in audit and risk roles in the private and utilities sectors.