Membership of the Audit Committee

Zafir has extensive audit/business knowledge and experience as a Chartered Internal Auditor. For over 35 years he has devoted his career to public services and has worked extensively in advising central government departments in governance, assurance, risk management and counter fraud environments, including 10 years working in public-facing frontline roles within the civil service. He has held several roles at HMTs Government Internal Audit Agency, including Deputy Head of Internal Audit and Counter Fraud Specialist for the Department of Health and Social Care; Head of Internal Audit for the Health Research Authority and Head of Internal Audit for the NHS Counter Fraud Authority. He spent three years at the Yorkshire Ambulance Service NHS Trust as an Associate Non-Executive Director and is currently at Bradford Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust as a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee. Zafir is passionate about public service delivery, with a keen interest in workforce wellbeing and also the need to work collaboratively within partnerships to join up service delivery. His aim is to share and apply his knowledge of working with central government with other sectors who serve the public. He is a member of the Chartered Institute of Internal Auditors and is accredited as an NHS Counter Fraud Specialist.

Kalwant Grewal is a senior finance and governance professional with over 30 years’ experience across the public, regulatory, and not-for-profit sectors. He holds multiple non-executive appointments, including Independent Member of the Audit and Risk Committees at the Royal College of Veterinary Surgeons (RCVS) and the Democracy and Boundary Commission Cymru (DBCC). He is also Lay Treasurer and Chair of the Finance, Risk and Audit Committee at the British Acupuncture Council (BAcC). Kalwant brings deep expertise in regulatory assurance, audit committee leadership, and post-decision scrutiny. He is a Member of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants and holds additional qualifications in leadership, housing, and project management. His governance work is grounded in the Nolan Principles and a strong commitment to procedural fairness, public accountability, and equality, diversity and inclusion.

Nasim is a barrister and began her legal career as a criminal lawyer at the Crown Prosecution Service, before moving to Sotheby's as European Compliance Officer. This was followed by a stint at the Financial Services Authority which led to roles in global financial institutions, including Citi, Standard Chartered Bank, Coutts & Co and Union Bancaire Privee. Nasim has held a number of leadership roles in the financial services sector and her primary expertise is regulation, risk and audit. She is a consultant at Linklaters and a Non-Executive Director and Chair of the Audit Committee at the Royal Surrey NHS Foundation Trust. 

Shiv Kaushike has over 20 years experience working in risk, compliance, governance, strategy and EDI. Shiv holds the FCA approved Senior Management functions of SMF16 and 17 and is a Director of Compliance and Regulatory Affairs for an FCA regulated not for profit advising on social investment, corporate finance and outcomes based fund management. Shiv runs her own business advisory providing c-suites and boards with independent advice and guidance on risk, compliance, governance, strategy and EDI. She has designed and developed numerous risk management, audit, compliance, governance and EDI frameworks for major banks and financial institutions and other organisations in both the public and private sectors. She also provides high level advice on regulatory matters and complex and contentious issue management to firms. Shiv has a degree in International Economics from Manchester Metropolitan University, a Graduate Diploma in Law from BPP and a keen interest in AI and Sustainability. She has established and chaired Audit and Risk Committees as part of her roles. Shiv was also a Board Governor and Chair of Audit and Risk Committee for Northampton University for five years and has been a NED at Northamptonshire County Cricket Club for four years. 

Ruth is Managing Director of UncoverAI, a strategic consultancy focussed on ethical AI adoption.  Ruth has expertise in innovation, product development and strategy and co-founded an AI start-up in California.  Prior to that she was on the Board of BT Wholesale as Managing Director, Strategy and Portfolio where she managed innovation, strategic planning and execution of multi £billion product lines. 

Ruth has extensive Board experience spanning from media, technology and telecommunications to AI and her background covers both complex multinational organizations and early and mid-stage growth companies.  Throughout her career Ruth has championed diversity and inclusion.

Ruth is a member of the Forbes Women Forum, an invitation-only group of leading female executives which gathers to exchange dialogue and share ideas.  In September 2018, she was named to The Founders Index:  A rising generation of female entrepreneurs in the US.  She was one of the Global Telecoms Business Top 40 under 40 in 2010 and was shortlisted for ‘Woman of the Year in Technology in 2011. 

Jeremy's background is in financial services risk management, governance and controls.  He has worked as a regulator at the Bank of England, in consultancy with KPMG and EY, and in-house with LIFFE, BNP Paribas and Lloyds Banking Group (including as the senior management lead for non-financial risks at Lloyds Bank Corporate Markets plc). Jeremy is a Governor and Audit Committee member at Canterbury Christ Church University; a Director and the Finance Committee Chair at Design South East; Chair of the Audit and Risk Committee for the British Psychotherapy Foundation; and a member of the Professional Regulation and Standards Compliance Board for the Association of Accounting Technicians.