OC&C co-founder Michael Jary named chair of National Audit Office
Michael Jary has been announced as the next chair of the National Audit Office. The former global managing partner of OC&C Strategy Consultants will step into the role when Dame Fiona Reynolds’ term ends at the start of 2027.
Reynolds commented, “I have loved being chair of the NAO, and I wish my successor Michael Jary an equally rewarding and motivating term of office. The NAO is a unique organisation, with an unparalleled opportunity not only to hold Government to account, but also to improve the way public money is put to use for public benefit.”
The NAO is an independent Parliamentary body in the United Kingdom, which is responsible for auditing central government departments, government agencies and non-departmental public bodies. It also carries out value for money audits into the administration of public policy – including plans for spending on consulting contracts.
The NAO chair provides leadership and direction to the organisation’s board, setting its agenda and leading the non-executive members in providing constructive challenge and support to the NAO’s executive management, and the comptroller and auditor general (C&AG). The chair ensures that the NAO meets the requirements of the ‘Budget Responsibility and National Audit Act’, and the board’s own code of practice.
Jary was selected after “an open competition that was led by parliament”, a release said, with “the preferred candidate chosen by a selection panel that included the chair of the Public Accounts Committee, the comptroller and auditor general for Jersey, and the permanent secretary of the treasury. As of January 2027, Jary will take on the role after a long career in the consulting sector.
He has been a strategy adviser to large companies for four decades, and was one of the founding team of OC&C Strategy Consultants – where he later served as the firm’s worldwide managing partner. Jary will become NAO chair alongside several other current board roles, which include non-executive director of Barclays Bank, non-executive director of Openreach, chair of Kensington Mortgages, and acting chair of The King’s Foundation.
Speaking on his latest appointment, Jary said, “I am thrilled to be joining the National Audit Office as chair. Productivity, resilience and innovation in public services have never been more important. NAO supports Parliament’s scrutiny of government, achieves a positive financial impact and makes a difference to people’s lives. I am particularly looking forward to joining NAO’s brilliant team of high-performing professionals. I hope to carry forward Dame Fiona Reynolds’ example by providing strong leadership to the board and helping the NAO extend its impact even further.”
