2022 Judges

I live, work and play in Manchester and joined the City Council in 2004, becoming CIPFA qualified in 2017. With over 15 years’ experience in Public Sector Finance, I have covered a wide range of roles from Finance Settlement analysis and budget setting to assisting with the Final Statement of Accounts, as well as supporting the implementation of the 100% business rates retention pilot across the ten Greater Manchester authorities.

Local Government Finance is a challenging and rewarding career and no two days are the same, which I really enjoy. In 2021 I was honoured to receive the Public Finance Future Leader of the Year award.

Fiona is a Chartered Accountant and a communications & engagement specialist who has worked in both the private and public sectors. She has years of applied financial management and business experience and works with people across boundaries to influence and shape strategy, delivery and culture, with a particular focus on governance, risk & assurance.

Most of her experience is in challenging and complex political and operating environments, including in areas of high ambiguity with multiple stakeholders and competing agendas. Most recently she has also been leveraging the opportunities in making stronger links between the GFF and CIPFA, both in their strategic aims and between their respective communities, and leading on anti-corruption.

Sarah is a Past President of CIPFA and retired senior partner with Grant Thornton. Sarah led the firm’s public services team for many years and latterly served on its Strategic Leadership Team. Sarah continues to keep an interest in the future of public audit and celebrating the success of public finance professionals through these awards. Originally from Yorkshire, Sarah now enjoys retirement on the North Northumberland coast.

Manj Kalar, principal consultant is an independent public sector finance professional accountant with almost 30 years’ experience gained across the public sector.

Manj has worked across several large UK central government departments on the implementation of accrual accounting, including both government income (taxes) and expenditure. She led the sub consolidation of Whole of Government Accounts (WGA) working closely with HM Treasury to develop processes for local government.

She then worked as the central government and financial management technical manager at the Chartered Institute of Public Finance & Accountancy (CIPFA) and was global head of Public Sector at the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA). She started her career as a VAT inspector in HM Revenue & Customs.

Manj is a professional accountant, FCCA, CPFA and PRINCE 2 practitioner providing consulting, thought leadership research and publications, technical training / events / conferences and coaching trainee accountants. Further information is available at https://www.kalarconsulting.com/

Abdool Kara is an Executive Director at the National Audit Office, where he started in February 2017. He is responsible for the NAO’s local services financial audit and value for money portfolio shadowing the Department for Levelling up, Housing and Communities, the Department of Health and Social Care, and the Department for Education, as well as leading on its People programme.

Prior to joining the NAO Abdool had 25 years’ experience in the local government sector, including working for four different councils up to and including chief executive level, and seven years at the Audit Commission on both value for money and inspection.

He also had a stint at the Cabinet Office advising on public service improvement. He is currently a strategic advisor to the Welsh Centre for Public Policy.

Jeremy’s career has been in corporate communications: he is currently Chief of Staff and Director of Communications for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).

He started in the telecommunications sector, with marketing roles at BT, Cable & Wireless and Nortel. He then spent eight years as a senior civil servant in Whitehall – in the Department of Health, working on NHS modernisation, and subsequently as Director of Communication at the Department for Transport.

Moving back into the private sector, Jeremy worked for Serco, the outsourced public services operator, covering transport, criminal justice and immigration, healthcare and welfare. Prior to his current role he spent two years as Director of Strategic Communications at the healthcare regulator, NHS Improvement. He has also been a long-time Army reservist, serving over many years in a range of command, staff and policy roles, including operational tours in Kosovo and Afghanistan.

Joan has been the Director of the Accelerating Innovation in Local Government Research Project for nine years.

Her research focusses on how local government leaders can achieve more significant innovations more quickly, both within their local councils and collaboratively across local public services.

The studies have been conducted with a range of partners including the UK’s Society for Local Authority Chief Executives, the Local Government Association, City University London and the Royal Society of Arts.

Joan worked for many years at a senior level in UK public services, primarily in local government, including over ten years as part of the Local Government Association Group, leading the English Local Government Workforce Strategy.

She holds both a Masters in Organisational Development and one in Innovation, Creativity and Leadership. Her most recent publication is here: https://www.thersa.org/reports/transform-public-services

Managing Consultant, Supporting Healthcare Organisations and the wider Public Sector to make better decisions through Strategic Asset Reviews and Business Case Delivery Strengths lie in Leadership, Finance and Change Management.

A keen advocate of Personal Development, Growth Mindset and EDI “Know to a few to cycle a few miles and attempt in parkrun now and then.” Trustee of Cure Leukaemia, Blood Cancer Charity Junior Vice President Cipfa Midlands Regional Council

Tom is the deputy chief economist and works within the public finances team. He leads the Institute’s work on levelling up.

He also leads and contributes to projects on public services, fiscal policy and regulation. He was previously an economist at the Institute for Fiscal Studies.

He has an MSC in Economics from UCL and a BA in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from the University of Oxford. https://mobile.twitter.com/tompope0

Michael Sunderland is Deputy Director for Government Financial Reporting at HM Treasury. He’s worked at HM Treasury for over 10 years largely in roles working on public spending and EU exit. Prior to that he worked in education and academia in the UK and China, and originally trained in financial audit at the Audit Commission.

Angie Ridgwell, CEO and Director of Resources, Lancashire County Council

Dr Vaughan-Dick MBE PhD has worked at a senior level in the public, private and voluntary sectors. Valerie is presently the Chief Operating Officer of the Royal College of General Practitioners (RCGP) and the most senior member of staff. The RCGP is the membership organisation for 54,000 GPs and works extensively to be the voice of General Practice and improve patient care in the UK and internationally. She leads the staff across the organisation in the UK and internationally and joined the RCGP in 2014 initially as the Executive Director of Planning and Resources. Valerie started her career with the National Audit Office where she qualified as an accountant. She worked on value for money and financial audits of the Departments of Health & Social Security, Overseas Services, Local Government and Housing.

Valerie has been an Executive Finance and Resources Director in central and local government, working on financial and strategic management issues and has extensive international experience. She has been a Chair of a NHS Trust, Chair of the CIPFA Central Government Panel, Chair of the Woolwich Creative District Trust, a major multi-million-pound regeneration project of the Royal Arsenal area in London and is presently Chair of Wandle Housing Association. Wandle manages nearly 8000 units across South London. Valerie was awarded an MBE in the 2022 Queen’s Platinum Honours Birthday list.

Sonia joined The City of London Corporation in November 2020 as the Assistant Director of Strategic Finance and was promoted to the role of Financial Services Director in April 2022. She moved from Kent Police where she was a winner of the Public Finance Awards in 2019, being singled out to receive the prestigious Public Finance Future Leader Of The Year award.

She has previously held senior management roles leading on finance in the private sector. A CIMA qualified accountant who has embraced the public sector and driven forward transformational change with passion. She has created new opportunities both internally and externally working collaboratively across services and departments. Sonia is a role model for women having to juggle a busy home life with young children together with progressing in a demanding career.

A qualified finance professional with a background in management consulting and law; having worked across central and local government as well as in the private sector, I am currently Strategic Finance Director at the UK Health Security Agency