To: Staff in Internal Audit Department, Office of the Governing Council, Members of the Audit Committee, PDAD&C, CAO group
From: Sheree Drummond, Secretary of the Governing Council
Date: May 27, 2021
Subject: Announcement re Mark Britt, Director of Internal Audit
After a long and distinguished career as Director of Internal Audit, Mark Britt will be retiring from that role and will be transitioning to a special advisor role in the Office of the Governing Council in the coming months.
Mark joined the Internal Audit Department in 1991 and took on the role of Director in 1995, serving under five University Presidents since his appointment. He is highly respected across all three campuses and at all levels of the institution, as well as in the PSE sector and the broader public sector.
Over the course of his lengthy career at U of T Mark has built a strong reputation as an extremely knowledgeable and deeply committed senior administrator. He has a well-deserved reputation for being constructive, collegial and deeply attuned to the academic mission of the University. His efforts are always focused on what is in the best interest of the University.
Under his leadership he has transitioned Internal Audit from a compliance assessment function to one providing a full suite of operational, compliance, and information system auditing, as well as investigation and advisory services that meet the needs of the University. As Director, he has assembled a diverse team of qualified audit, risk and advisory professionals, and has provided a training ground for several staff members currently in senior administrative roles, including CAOs.
Notwithstanding the demands of his role, Mark has always been generous with his time and with sharing his wisdom and experience in support of others at U of T. He is a long-serving mentor in the Rose Patten Mentoring Leadership Partnership, influencing and shaping the careers of numerous staff. Mark has also served on a variety of steering and other committees focused on increasing operational efficiency and effectiveness of operational and risk management activities and functions.
In addition to his University contributions, Mark served as the Chair of the CAUBO Internal Audit Standing Committee and volunteer board member for the Institute of Internal Auditors Canada, and is a member representing U of T on the Corporate Ethics Management Council of the Conference Board of Canada.
In this new phase of his career, Mark will be serving in a non-audit role where his experience, skills and institutional knowledge can be leveraged to assist with the achievement of institutional strategic priorities and goals.
Please join me in warmly thanking Mark Britt for his exemplary service to date.
A search for a new Director of Internal Audit will be launched shortly. Following a formal Request for Proposals, Odgers Berndtson has been engaged to assist with this recruitment.