1. Careers
your questions answered
❱❱ I’m a quality manager and I’m thinking of branch-
ing out to become an auditor. Where should I start?
First, you need to make sure it is the experience will be valuable here, people on
job for you. You need to be suited to as will any knowledge of one or the move
the loneliness of the long-distance au- more management systems
ditor. You will be working on your own In terms of how attractive you will be ❱❱ BSI
and, believe it or not, external auditors to a certification body the following BSI Group has appointed Thomas
are not everyone’s favourite person! areas are always important: Gorrie as a non-executive board
Second, you need to con- • Technical areas – auditors have to member. Thomas is board trustee
sider whether you are be competent in the market sector to the prestigious Robert Wood
approaching this to be in which they are asked to audit to John Foundation and a former
a full-time employee maintain credibility. This includes Johnson & Johnson corporate
or to be a contract knowing legal requirements, tech- vice-president.
auditor working nology and jargon used in the dis-
for one or more cipline. Breadth of experience will Dr Gert Bos has been appointed as
certification be attractive to the certification BSI head of regulatory and clinical
bodies, perhaps body as you will be able to audit a affairs. He will focus on strength-
involving some wide range of organisations ening BSI’s role in the regulatory
consultancy. • Management systems standards work at an EU level in Brussels,
The role of the – in order to keep customers supporting complex drug-device
quality auditor is happy through auditor continuity, and animal tissue combination
different from any certification bodies are looking projects.
other quality role, to employ auditors with ability in
but there are similari- multiple standards ❱❱ John Mayhead
ties. For example, for any Most certification bodies prefer allo- John Mayhead CBE has been ap-
role you will need: cating work to local auditors, but there pointed to the independent Adver-
• Integrity – this is very important as is significant trade-off with knowledge tising Standards Authority council.
an auditor. Not only do you have of technical areas and management He will sit on both the broadcast
duties to your certification body, systems standards. This could mean and non-broadcast councils and
but also to the organisation you your portfolio has a mix of local and will take over from Susan Murray
are auditing, its customers and wide-spread clients to serve. who served on the council for her
even its competitors You need to be well organised. You full six-year term.
• Impartiality – your role is to audit will be booking your own appoint-
to requirements, not to your opin- ments, planning each audit, carrying ❱❱ edward aStle
ion. You can’t give your favourite out audits to programme and plan, Intertek, a provider of quality and
an easy ride and others a hard dealing with cancellations, preparing safety services, has appointed
time. Being asked to pass judge- and submitting audit reports, handling Edward Astle as a non-executive
ment takes a lot of getting used to, expenses and communicating with director. Edward is currently pro-
but if you stick to facts then you the certification body and clients – not rector of commercial development
should be all right to mention keeping your knowledge at Imperial College London.
• Quality tools and techniques – all and skills up to date for all technical
organisations you audit will be areas and management systems that ❱❱ tIM eScudIer
working with these, so your you cover. Amnis, specialist healthcare qual-
ity, innovation and productivity
improvement enabler, has appoint-
ed Tim Escudier as adviser to the
board. Tim is also non-executive
please email your useful links director of the Princess Alexandra
career questions www.irca.org Hospital NHS Trust and has just
and job moves to www.smallbusiness.co.uk finished a term as interim chair at
editorial@thecqi.org www.thecqi.org/training the trust.
52 | OCTOBER 2009 | qw www.thecqi.org
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