Annie Graham appointed as EY UK head of audit

Annie Graham has been named as EY’s new UK head of audit. She will join the firm’s UK board, and will be responsible for the delivery of consistent audits in the market.

As one of the four largest accounting and consulting firms in the UK, EY’s audit team provides audits to some of the country’s largest private organisations. The practice’s team of 6,000 professionals operate from offices across the country.

Previously, it was led by Andrew Walton, who headed up the audit practice for four years. In that time, he oversaw significant changes including the operational separation of the UK audit business.

Walton decided to step down as UK head of audit, but according to a release from EY, he will “continue to lead audit engagements in the UK”. This will include support for EY’s approach to audit quality across EMEIA and globally.  

Looking ahead, the UK audit practice will instead be helmed by Annie Graham, who brings almost three decades of experience to the role.

Hywel Ball, EY’s UK chair commented, “The delivery of high-quality audits is a cornerstone of a well-functioning capital markets system, and our public interest responsibilities sit at the very heart of our firm. Annie brings a wealth of experience to this role and will continue to build on Andrew’s legacy to drive the delivery of consistent high-quality audits that we and all our stakeholders expect.” 

Having originally joined EY on a summer internship in 1997, she was made a partner at 29, and is currently UK&I audit chief operating officer.  

Graham added, “Audit quality is our priority and continuous improvements require a continuous focus, which is my commitment in taking on this role. I’m incredibly proud to be working with our team in the UK to maintain a strong culture of audit quality in everything that we do.”