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STATES OF JERSEY
COMPTROLLER AND AUDITOR GENERAL BOARD OF GOVERNANCE: APPOINTMENT OF MEMBER
Lodged au Greffe on 23rd February 2024 by the Chief Minister
Earliest date for debate: 16th April 2024
STATES GREFFE
2024 P.9
PROPOSITION
THE STATES are asked to decide whether they are of opinion −
in accordance with Article 2(2) of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Board of Governance) (Jersey) Order 2015, to approve the recommendation of the Chief Minister and the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee to appoint, for a term of 5 years, Mr Peter J Pichler as an independent member of the Board of Governance of the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General.
CHIEF MINISTER
Note: In accordance with Article 2(3) of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Board of Governance) (Jersey) Order 2015, this proposition has the support of the Chief Minister and the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee.
REPORT Background
Article 15 of the Comptroller and Auditor General (Jersey) Law 2014 provided for the establishment of a Board of Governance (“the Board”) to perform functions in connection with the Office of the Comptroller and Auditor General (“C&AG”).
The Comptroller and Auditor General (Board of Governance) (Jersey) Order 2015 (“the 2015 Order”) established the Board to scrutinise the use of resources by the C&AG and the governance arrangements of the Office. In accordance with Article 2 of the 2015 Order, as amended in February 2023, the Board shall be constituted by two to four
members appointed by the States Assembly, one of whom shall also be appointed by the States as Chairman of the Board.
In addition to Mrs Grace Nesbit, the Chairman of the Board, there are currently two independent members in post.
Further to a request from the Board in September 2023 to appoint an additional independent member, a formal recruitment process was undertaken in accordance with Article 24 of the Employment of States of Jersey Employees (Jersey) Law 2005, following the guidance issued by the Jersey Appointments Commission.
The role was widely advertised on the States of Jersey website, the Jersey Audit Office website, My Connect (a Bailiwick Express job website), BL Global and LinkedIn. Four candidates applied for the role. Following consideration by a panel comprising of the Chair of the Jersey Appointments Commission, the Chairman of the Comptroller and Auditor General Board of Governance, the Chair of the Public Accounts Committee, Greffier of the States and, on behalf of then Chief Minister, the Assistant Minister for Social Security and Health and Social Services, two candidates were interviewed.
Recommendation for the appointment of an independent member
The interview panel unanimously recommended the appointment of Mr Peter J Pichler as an independent member of the Board of Governance for a term of 5 years. Mr Pichler is not disqualified from serving as an independent member by virtue of Article 2(7) of the 2015 Order. A short biography for Mr Pichler is set out below.
Mr Peter J Pichler
Peter qualified as a chartered accountant in London in 1971 and in Canada in 1980 and is an alumnus of EY. He held a number of senior executive positions in the finance industry, both in Toronto and in Jersey, focussing on business and operations, including CEO of Deutsche Bank’s Offshore Group based in Jersey. For nine years until January 2024, he was a Commissioner at the Jersey Financial Services Commission. Peter has wide experience in banking, including in treasury, corporate lending, global custody and retail banking. His operational responsibilities have included finance, IT, corporate restructuring and business change, and risk and compliance. His geographic responsibilities covered a number of international finance centres in Jersey, Guernsey, Cayman Islands and Mauritius and in other onshore jurisdictions. He has lived in Jersey
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P.9/2024
for 35 years and retired from full-time employment in 2013. He is a graduate of Reading University, has taken numerous training courses through his employers and, after retirement, completed the Institute of Directors Certificate and Diploma in Company Direction.
Declaration of interest
Mr Pichler has declared that he has accepted an unpaid role as Trustee and Treasurer of Jersey Hospice, an organisation in receipt of a grant from the Government of Jersey. In line with the Board Code of Conduct for Members, the Chairman of the C&AG Board, in liaison with the Comptroller and Auditor General, has carefully considered the nature and extent of the interest. It has been concluded that Mr Pichler’s interest in Jersey Hospice represents little risk to the integrity of the Board or to Mr Pichler and therefore can be managed through ordinary Board conflict of interest procedures.
Financial and staffing implications
The post is unpaid. Where necessary, reasonable expenses for travel and accommodation will be paid for attendance at meetings in London and Jersey. These are estimated not to exceed £1,000 per annum and will be met within the existing budgets.
Children’s Rights Impact Assessment
A Children’s Rights Impact Assessment (CRIA) has not been prepared in relation to this proposition as a CRIA is not required, in accordance with Schedule 2 to the Children (Convention Rights) (Jersey) Law 2022.