New Plymouth Accountancy Firm Joins PwC

Monday, 6 August 2007

New Plymouth Accountancy Firm Joins Pricewaterhousecoopers

Highly regarded New Plymouth-based accountancy firm Stratagem is to merge with the New Plymouth office of national accounting firm PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) at the end of this month. PwC is the largest professional service firm in New Zealand with a strong regional focus through its offices in New Plymouth, Napier, Hamilton and Dunedin as well as offices in Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch.

The Stratagem name will be “retired” from 1 September 2007 and the firm’s staff and partners will join the New Plymouth office of PwC. Also in September, the merged office will relocate to new premises in the recently developed PricewaterhouseCoopers Centre on Gill Street.

Stratagem managing partner, Grant McQuoid, said staff at both offices had been told of the decision to join PwC and were very positive about the move. Stratagem and PwC New Plymouth clients had also been informed.

“We’re excited at the prospect of joining PwC – it’s a great vote of confidence for our business and the region in general. More importantly, we’re confident the coming together of Stratagem and PricewaterhouseCoopers is in the best interests of our clients,” he said.

Mr McQuoid will take up the role of managing partner in the newly merged PwC New Plymouth office. He and fellow Stratagem partners Noel Cave and Neil Evetts will join the three existing PwC New Plymouth partners Pauline Lockett, Rod Tapp and Brent Hulbert. Mr McQuoid said he was looking forward to the newly merged office playing a key role in the PwC network of regional offices which also included Napier, Hamilton, and Dunedin.

PwC is unable to provide financial planning advice due to independence issues with its audit practice, and this will see Stratagem partner Evan Cottam operate independently of the merged PwC New Plymouth office.

“Evan will provide financial planning advice to clients under the Spicers Financial Services banner,” said Mr McQuoid. “He has been involved with Spicers for a number of years and looks forward to continuing to provide his clients with high quality advice and service – we wish him well in his new role.”

Robbie Gimblett, the national leader of PwC’s Private Client Services practice, said it was “an exciting move” to welcome Stratagem on board. “The partners and staff at the firm have an excellent reputation and we are delighted to have such a talented team joining us.”

He said the time was right for PwC to expand its presence in Taranaki. “This is a fantastic region for local business and bolstering our presence here forms an important part of our strategy to reinvest in the regions and reinvigorate our presence in markets outside Auckland, Wellington and Christchurch,” said Mr Gimblett.

“Bringing Stratagem and PwC’s New Plymouth office together will also enhance our capability and provide us with a platform to work alongside large organisations and major companies with a local presence in the Taranaki region.”

-ends-

© Scoop Media