Phil Sharman appointed as Principal Auditor

Former Director at the UK Audit Commission, Phil Sharman, has been appointed as the Gibraltar Government’s Principal Auditor following the retirement of Tony Sacramento.

Mr Sharman will take up the post on June 1 for an initial term of three years.

The Governor, Lieutenant General Sir Ben Bathurst, appointed Mr Sharman on the advice of the Specified Appointments Commission and in accordance with the 2006 Gibraltar Constitution Order.

Mr Sharman brings extensive leadership experience in public sector auditing, having 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 external audits of financial statements and performance audits evaluating 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 [GAO] based at the World Trade Centre.

“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,” Mr Sharman said.

“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.”

The Governor added that he is 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,” Sir Ben said.

“He will take on this important role in June 2025 and further develop the capacity of the Gibraltar Audit Office.”
The Chief Minister, Fabian Picardo, welcomed the appointment.

“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,” Mr Picardo said.

The Office of the Governor and the Government of Gibraltar thanked Mr Sacramento for his years of dedicated public service.