Helen Patel

I started my career with PwC and for the first part of my career I worked in the Birmingham office in the audit stream with a wide range of audit entities. I transferred to the National Audit Risk and Quality team in 2017, where I undertook a range of quality initiative related roles including, ISQC(UK)1 testing, implementation of the new quality standard ISQM(UK)1, managing a team of support staff who provided risk management and project management support to the audit practice, managing the identification of High Profile Audit Clients to support the firm in implementing additional quality controls for these engagements, monitoring the implementation of actions developed by the firm in response to internal and external regulatory reviews, as well as being a senior member of the audit and risk management helpline.

Since joining BDO in January 2022 I have played and continue to play a key role in managing the firms relationship with the firms audit regulators.

BDO is subject to supervision from the FRC, which includes the Audit Firm Supervision (AFS) team, the Audit Quality Review (AQR) team and the Audit Market Supervision (AMS) team. The AFS team are responsible for overall supervision of the firms and draw together the results of the work undertaken by the other two teams, they are a central point of contact both for the Firm and within the FRC. The AMS team take a cross-market approach to audit quality and firm resilience, this includes undertaking firm-wide inspection work to ensure compliance with ISQM(UK)1. I am responsible for all interactions with and requests received from the Audit Firm Supervisor and Audit Market Supervision divisions at the FRC.

A key part of the FRC's work is assessing the audit practice's system of quality management and carrying out cross-firm thematic reviews. I therefore have a close relationship with both the Audit Quality Directorate (AQD) and the Quality and Risk Management Team (QRM). I help to drive proactivity in firmwide quality monitoring which is essential as the FRC monitoring is transitioning to a System of Quality Management focus.

I have developed the firms Single Quality Action Plan (SQAP) and a digital tool to house this. I am responsible for overseeing and reporting to governance bodies on the firms SQAP and am continuing to develop, implement and drive forward monitoring effectiveness assessments of actions on the SQAP, including considering how this will integrate with the SQAP tool.

These roles have taught me the importance of both challenge and collaboration. I continue to challenge existing approaches, as well as ensuring collaboration across the firm to drive high quality and ensure actions the firm are taking are fit for purpose and proportionate to support quality and sustainability.

Outside of work I enjoy spending time with my family and have two children who take up a lot of my spare time. I am also keen to maintain my fitness and you'll often find me either at the gym, on a netball court, or taking part in a fitness related challenge which to date have included the Fan Dance (an SAS Selection march), Hyrox (a hybrid fitness racing event that combines 8km of running and 8 functional workout stations) and various 'fun' runs.