Written Statement -  Appointment of Chair to the Public Services Staff Commission

Following my announcement earlier this year that we would be establishing a Public Services Staff Commission by the autumn, a public appointments process was initiated to recruit the Chair and Members for the Commission.

Today, I am pleased to announce that I have appointed Gill Lewis to Chair the Commission.

The recruitment process for the role of Members to the Staff Commission is ongoing. I will make a further statement in September when I will announce the Commission members.

Biographical details for Gill Lewis:

Gill Lewis has worked in the public sector for nearly four decades as a qualified chartered accountant (CIPFA). Her early career was in the NHS as a national trainee, and subsequent financial and management posts. She joined the Audit Commission in 1988, and was appointed a District Auditor in 1996. She held a number of senior positions in the Audit Commission (England and Wales) and the Wales Audit Office, as Head of Audit for the Audit Commission in Wales and a Senior Partner respectively.

Since 2010, she has undertaken a wide variety of important roles across the public sector in Wales. These include, Deputy Chief Executive, Interim Director of Resources and statutory Section 151 officer and Director of Change Management in various Local Authorities. She was also Project Director for implementation of a Health and Social Care transformation efficiency programme, and workforce transformation in a Health Board. She undertakes high level corporate governance work, peer review benchmarking and organisational turnaround for local authorities and other bodies.

Gill was a Non-Executive Director of a Housing Association for over 10 years and is currently a board member on the Chartered Institute of Public Finance Accountants in the UK, Chair of the Board for the Regions and Past President of CIPFA in Wales.

This statement is being issued during recess in order to keep members informed. Should members wish me to make a further statement or to answer questions on this when the Assembly returns I would be happy to do so.