Leading business professionals vie for top titles

21 November 2012

Leading business professionals vie for top titles

The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) is proud to announce the 2012 NZICA Leadership Awards finalists.

The Leadership Awards are NZICA’s most prestigious honours, presented to the cream of New Zealand’s business community.

In line for the top award, the Crombie Lockwood Chartered Accountant of the Year, are Steve Wakefield, General Manager of the Canterbury Earthquake and Recovery Authority (CERA), and Denise Jensen, Chief Financial Officer of Refining NZ.

Steve, former Managing Partner with Deloitte Christchurch, brings more than 30 years experience as a CA, high-level expertise in governance and considerable community involvement to his role at CERA to develop the economic recovery plan to secure future prosperity for the greater Christchurch region.

Denise, former senior audit partner with Coopers & Lybrand Whangarei, has excelled in her career as CFO of Refining NZ, her outstanding leadership and technical excellence in financial reporting leading to the company being a three-time winner in the NZICA Annual Report Awards (2008-2010) and winning a top prize at Australasian Reporting Awards (ARA) 2011.

“Steve and Denise are powerful role models of the value Chartered Accounting professionals bring to organisations not only as financial experts but as leaders driving change,” says NZICA Chief Executive Terry McLaughlin.

The three finalists in the Ernst & Young 2012 Public Sector CFO of the Year have all delivered major efficiencies.

Paul Chambers of Meridian Energy has demonstrated that a State Owned Enterprise can operate as successfully as a private sector company. David Walsh has led the successful KiwiRail Turnaround Plan, driving the SOE from critical under-investment to a position of financial stability. Michael Beever at Statistics NZ has implemented an organisation-wide transformation resolving long-standing audit issues and significantly improving internal customer satisfaction.

Newcomers in line for Westpac Outstanding New Member of the Year Award are: Skye Daniels, Group Financial Controller with the University of Auckland; Bronwyn Diniss, Chartered Accountant with Morrissey Creed Advisory in Palmerston North; Felicity Hill, Manager BDO Wellington; and Lawrence Field, Director of Rural CA Ltd, Masterton.

“Congratulations too all of our finalists for this year. To be named a finalist demonstrates a high level of accomplishment in the accounting profession and the ability to use accounting expertise to drive better results for New Zealand businesses, be they in the private or public sector.”

The NZICA Leadership Awards winners will be announced at a gala dinner in Christchurch on 4 December.

A full list of finalists is below.

Crombie Lockwood 2012 Chartered Accountant of the Year:
• Steve Wakefield, General Manager of the Canterbury Earthquake and Recovery Authority (CERA)
• Denise Jensen, Chief Financial Officer of Refining NZ.

Westpac 2012 Outstanding New Member of the Year:
• Skye Daniels, Group Financial Controller, University of Auckland
• Bronwyn Diniss, CA, Morrissey Creed Advisory, Palmerston North
• Felicity Hill, Manager BDO Wellington
• Lawrence Field, Director of Rural CA Ltd, Masterton.

Ernst and Young 2012 Public Sector CFO of the Year:
• Paul Chambers, CFO, Meridian Energy
• David Walsh, GM Corporate & Finance, KiwiRail
• Michael Beever, CFO Statistics NZ

NZICA is New Zealand’s largest professional body and represents more than 33,000 members in New Zealand and over 90 other countries. We act in the public interest through regulating the profession and promoting quality, integrity and expertise. Our members hold one of three prestigious professional accountancy designations: Chartered Accountant (CA), Associate Chartered Accountant (ACA) or Accounting Technician (AT).

ENDS

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