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Audit and Assurance Conference 2022

Wednesday 12 October

Change and Challenge. This year’s live Audit and Assurance Conference will explore the changes ahead for auditors and feature an expert panel debating how to address the biggest practical challenges facing audit firms today.

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Highlights

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Interaction

Stay informed and get involved in discussions on the key topical audit issues of today.

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Impact

Gain insights into audit file inspection findings.

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In-person networking

Network and engage with other audit firms and professionals.

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Technology

Find out how technology is changing the way we audit

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Sustainability

Understand the considerations for auditors now and in the future

2023 programme

Registration
12:30
Welcome address
Gilly Lord, Chair of Audit and Assurance Faculty Board, Global Leader, Public Policy & Regulation, PwC
13:00
Keynote
Julia Penny, President, ICAEW
13:15
Panel: what are the biggest practical challenges facing audit firms today and what can be done to address them?
Our panel session will ask the question, what are the top three practical challenges facing audit firms today and what is being done to address them? We will discuss how firms are embracing today’s challenges, what lessons can be learnt and how firms can prepare for future changes. Speakers: Paul Winrow, Partner, Mazars, Catherine Hardinge, Partner, Price Bailey LLP | Rachel Davis, Owner, Just Audit | Alex Peal, Managing Partner, James Cowper Kreston | David Isherwood, Ethics Partner, BDO
13:30
Break
15:00
Breakout session 1
Choose from one of the sessions running simultaneously
15:20
Breakout session 2
Choose from one of the sessions running simultaneously
16:10
Closing comments
Gilly Lord, Chair of AAFB, Global Leader, Public Policy & Regulation, PwC
16:55
Networking drinks reception
17:00
Close
18:00

Breakout session 1

Audit file inspections – key findings and insights
ICAEW’s Quality Assurance and the FRC’s Audit Quality Review team will draw upon examples of good practice which have led to improvements in audit quality, provide an update on their key file review findings and offer an insight into priority areas they will be looking at going forward, including their expectations for firms in these areas. Speakers: Nick Reynolds, Senior Manager, Quality Assurance, ICAEW | Ed Cadby, Inspection Leader, Financial Reporting Council
Option 1
ISA 315: Laying strong foundations for an effective and efficient audit
Join our session exploring the main challenges for firms implementing the revised ISA 315 for December 2022 audits. Understand the impact for firms and learn how you will need to revise your approach to risk assessments. | Speaker: Rhodri Whitlock, Assurance and Advisory Consultant, HPL Associates
Option 2

Breakout session 2

Sustainability, climate change and the auditor
Hear from one of the IAASB’s board members on the IAASB’s proposed action for assurance on sustainability/ESG reporting before looking at the current considerations for auditors in this area, with a particular focus on small and medium sized audit practices. This session will also include an update of IAASB's other key public interest projects. | Speaker: Sue Almond, Consultant, Grant Thornton
Option 1
How is technology changing what and how we audit?
Join this session from conference partner Confirmation, who will address the following: 1. How are audits changing and what does this mean for audit teams? 2. What do I need to remember when assessing going concern? 3. How can technology help to enhance audit quality? 4. How can technology help to streamline the audit process? 5. What does the future of auditing look like? | Ashwin Sharma, Territory Manager, Confirmation, Thomson Reuters
Option 2

Our speakers

David Isherwood
Sue Almond Consultant, Grant Thornton

Sue Almond became a member of the IAASB in January 2020. Sue was Global Head of Assurance with Grant Thornton International. She is a former chair of GTIL's Audit Methodology and Learning Steering Committee. Sue led the ACCA's external affairs program and has worked with global standard-setters and major public affairs stakeholders. Sue was a member of the International Integrated Reporting Council. She has served as chair of the Global Public Policy Group (GPPC; largest 6 accountancy networks) Standard Setting Working Group.

Ed Cadby
Ed Cadby Inspection Leader, Financial Reporting Council

Ed Cadby has been leader of Audit Quality Review inspections at Tier 2 and 3 firms since 2018. Prior to joining the FRC Ed worked at PwC, working across audit assurance and transaction services. In recent years Ed led the FRC’ thematic studies on Audit Quality Indicators (May 2020) and Going Concern (Autumn 2020). He started his financial career in a legacy firm of RSM, and a large independent firm, before joining PwC. Ed has lectured on audit quality, both in the UK and internationally, and is currently heading the AQR’s training program.

Rachel Davis
Rachel Davis Owner, Just Audit

Rachel Davis is a chartered accountant and managing director of Just Audit Limited. Rachel launched Just Audit in 2006 to do exactly that – just audit. Together with her team, she works across the UK alongside accountancy firms, and their clients, providing a pure, independent audit service, principally for less complex entities. Rachel has served on the ICAEW Practice Committee since 2011 and is a committee member (and past President) of the West Yorkshire Society of Chartered Accountants.

Catherine Hardinge
Catherine Hardinge Partner, Price Bailey LLP

Catherine is the audit and technical partner at Price Bailey LLP. She was appointed the group’s Compliance Partner in January 2014. Catherine advises the firm on a range of audit and financial reporting matters. She has significant experience of managing a broad range of corporate and not for profit clients. Catherine is also a member of the Education and Training Board of the ICAEW and also a member of Technical and Practical Auditing Committee at ICAEW.

David Isherwood
David Isherwood Ethics Partner, BDO

David is Ethics Partner in the UK firm of BDO. He specialises in audit methodology, ethics and public policy matters and is a member of the UK firm’s Business Interest Oversight Board. David is Chair of ICAEW's Technical and Practical Auditing Committee.

Gilly Lord
Gilly Lord Global Leader, Public Policy & Regulation, PwC

Gilly is a PwC UK partner and chartered accountant. She is a practising audit partner and is PwC's Global Leader for Public Policy & Regulation. She is Chair of the ICAEW’s Audit and Assurance Faculty and is a Council Member at the ICAEW.

Alex Peal
Alex Peal Managing Partner, James Cowper Kreston

Alex Peal is joint managing partner of James Cowper Kreston, a top 50 firm of Chartered Accountants and Business Advisors based in London and the South of England. He is an audit partner at the firm and his client portfolio includes a wide range of owner managed companies, charities and academy schools. Outside the firm he is a member of the International Federation of Accountants’ SMP Advisory Group and the ICAEW Audit Faculty Board.

Julia Penny
Julia Penny President, ICAEW

Julia qualified as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant in 1989 having first completed an honours degree in Accountancy and Finance at Brighton Polytechnic. Soon after qualifying she moved into a training role, initially teaching students and later moving into CPD training and technical roles. She specialises in audit, financial reporting and anti-money laundering and has worked for diverse organisations including Wolters Kluwer, Wilmington plc, Chantrey Vellacott and Baker Tilly (now RSM). Julia has been a Council member since 2013 and an ICAEW Board member since 2017. She was Vice-President for the year June 2020 to June 2021, Deputy President from June 2021 to June 2022 and currently ICAEW President from June 2022 to June 2023.

Nick Reynolds
Nick Reynolds Senior Manager, Quality Assurance, ICAEW

Nick Reynolds is a senior manager in the Quality Assurance Department. Since joining ICAEW in 2007 he has undertaken audit monitoring reviews to a wide range of firms throughout the UK.

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Ashwin Sharma Territory Manager, Confirmation, Thomson Reuters

Ashwin brings experience in both Audit and Account Management, having spent just under 3 years in audit with EY, and 4 years in SaaS sales.

Rhodri Whitlock
Rhodri Whitlock Assurance and Advisory Consultant, HPL Associates

Rhodri can draw on over 25 years' partner-level experience providing a range of assurance and advisory services to high growth SMEs through to public interest entities and supporting national and international audit quality initiatives within a top ten firm. Complementing his practice experience, Rhodri has also worked with the Financial Reporting Council on a range of audit quality and thematic projects. Rhodri is now an NED of a listed company and runs his own consultancy business working with audit firms and corporate entities advising on a range of quality, technical and governance areas.

Paul Winrow headshot
Paul Winrow Partner, Mazars

Paul is a Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy, a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England & Wales, and a Fellow of the Geological Society of London. Paul is a Partner in the Audit Quality Support Team at Mazars where he is the firm’s Head of Audit & Assurance Methodology, a member of the global teams developing Mazars’ audit and sustainability assurance methodologies and supports the firm’s leadership in relation to audit policy matters. He has nearly 30 years’ audit experience, with last ten years in technical, ethics and audit quality roles.

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