His Excellency the Governor and Commander-in-Chief, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst KCVO, CBE, has appointed Mr Phil Sharman as Principal Auditor following the retirement of Mr Tony Sacramento. The appointment, made on the advice of the Specified Appointments Commission and in accordance with the provisions of the 2006 Gibraltar Constitution Order, will take effect on 1 June 2025 for an initial term of three years.

Mr Sharman brings extensive leadership experience in public sector auditing. He has previously served as Auditor General for several UK Overseas Territories, and as Audit Director with the UK Audit Commission, Audit New Zealand, and the NHS. His expertise includes the external audit of financial statements and performance audits assessing value for money in the use of public resources.

He is a Chartered Accountant and a qualified member of both the Chartered Institute of Public Finance and Accountancy (CIPFA) and the Chartered Accountants of Australia and New Zealand (CAANZ).

As Principal Auditor, Mr Sharman will lead the Gibraltar Audit Office, based in the World Trade Centre. He said: “As Principal Auditor, I look forward to leading the audit team at the Gibraltar Audit Office and applying my experience to support good governance and accountability in Gibraltar. My office will work collaboratively with colleagues across HM Government of Gibraltar to ensure more timely reporting of the audited public accounts to Parliament. I would like to acknowledge the work of my predecessor, Mr Sacramento, in building a professional and dedicated team at the GAO. I intend to continue his efforts to strengthen the Office’s capability and uphold its independence.”

His Excellency the Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, said: “I am grateful to the Specified Appointments Commission for recommending Mr Phil Sharman as Gibraltar’s next Principal Auditor. Mr Sharman is a highly qualified Chartered Public Finance Accountant with extensive public audit experience in the UK, other Overseas Territories, and New Zealand. He will take on this important role in June 2025 and further develop the capacity of the Gibraltar Audit Office.”

The Chief Minister, the Hon Fabian Picardo KC MP, said: “I am delighted to welcome Mr Sharman’s appointment as Principal Auditor. The Government looks forward to working with him and his team to continue improving value for money and transparency in the use of public funds.”

The Office of the Governor and His Majesty’s Government of Gibraltar would like to take this opportunity to thank the outgoing Principal Auditor, Mr Tony Sacramento, for his many years of dedicated public service.