Director – Sustainability Assurance
Conor is an experienced auditor, including significant experience in both financial statement audit and sustainability assurance, with a focus on driving continuous improvement in the performance of engagements to consistently enhance the impact on and value for clients and stakeholders. Regardless of location, size, type or industry, he works with clients and colleagues to achieve the best outcomes possible.
Sustainability assurance
Conor has led the development of Grant Thornton International’s global sustainability assurance methodology, and is responsible for developing practical and pragmatic responses to sustainability reporting, whether that reporting is prepared under ASRS, ISSB, ESRS, GRI, GHG Protocol or other standards.
Conor has also led the design, development and delivery of training for Grant Thornton’s assurance practitioners both in Australia and internationally.
Conor’s direct experience in delivering sustainability assurance to clients ranges from public sector organisations, to not-for-profits, large professional services firms and listed companies.
Through this work, Conor has been closely involved with both local and global regulatory and standard setting bodies and is able to leverage this perspective to provide unique insights and tailored solutions to his clients. Conor’s unrivalled experience in this space enables him to simplify the sustainability journey for his clients to minimise the costs associated with reporting and assurance, mitigate the risks identified by the client and maximise the opportunities that are present.
Financial statement audit
In addition to Conor’s involvement in sustainability assurance, he has a depth of experience in delivering financial statement audits, ranging from start-ups to established and multinational businesses (listed in Australia and the US) and not-for-profits. Previously a public-sector audit specialist in the UK, he worked with local authorities, the NHS, allied health providers, and other government bodies.
Conor’s extensive involvement with quality assurance and technical teams in both the UK and Australia enables him to understand and effectively respond to even the most challenging and technical problems. Conor has also delivered quality inspections both internally and for external organisations (including the Victorian Auditor General’s Office). This experience gives clients and stakeholders a deep confidence in the quality of the service they receive from Conor.
Non-assurance
Beyond traditional audit and assurance, Conor’s experience also includes performing detailed assessments of and preparing reports on sustainability and planning, financial management, governance and leadership, transparency, and value. Utilising transferable skills obtained in this work, he has assisted non-audit clients in various areas: income-maximisation at a local authority while assessing potential social impacts; financial due diligence on a college merger; and establishing COVID-19 testing centres and the systems required to run them in Scotland.
Outside of work, Conor has been an Independent Member of the Finance, Audit & Risk Committee of the College of Intensive Care Medicine for Australia and New Zealand since 2022.
Experience
- Leader in sustainability assurance – from development of global assurance methodologies for Grant Thornton International to delivery of assurance for public sector organisations in the UK, to large not-for-profits (e.g. WorldVision Australia) and professional services firms (e.g. KPMG Australia).
- Deep specialism in the full lifecycle of healthcare – from education (e.g. College of Intensive Care Medicine for Australia and New Zealand), to public health (e.g. Public Health Scotland), research and development of innovative solutions and treatments (e.g. Imugene Limited, Chimeric Therapeutics Limited, Radiopharm Theranostics Limited), and healthcare providers (e.g. NHS Scotland, Epworth Healthcare).
- Wide exposure to the audit of complex, highly-regulated and technical listed entities in Australia – including Imugene Limited, Cettire Limited, Step One Limited, BTC health Limited, Chimeric Therapeutics Limited, Radiopharm Theranostics Limited.
- In-depth understanding of the education sector and differences across Australia, including development Grant Thornton’s audit approach for education clients and delivering the audits of large education groups, including Mercy Education and Edmund Rice Education Australia.
