NZICA announces finalists for 2010 Leaders Awards

NZICA announces finalists for 2010 Leadership Awards

The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants (NZICA) is delighted to announce six exceptional finalists for the annual 2010 Hays Chartered Accountant of the Year Award.

The finalists come from a range of disciplines with the winners to be announced at the 2010 Leadership Awards gala dinner in Auckland on 30 November.

The Hays Chartered Accountant of the Year Award recognises New Zealand’s top Chartered Accountant who has most effectively demonstrated leadership and contributed to the success of their employer, clients or the accounting profession.

The award helped last year’s winner Warwick Hunt establish a presence and profile in the Middle East where he currently leads 3,000 staff from 47 nationalities in his office in Dubai.

NZICA chief executive Terry McLaughlin says, “This year’s finalists have demonstrated outstanding levels of competence in their individual fields of expertise. They are the best and brightest in the profession. Each and every finalist deserves recognition for the extensive contribution they have made to the accounting industry.”

Among the outstanding finalists announced for the Hays Chartered Accountant of the Year Award is Alison Molloy, chief executive of Autism New Zealand (Wellington) who is a strategic leader and is well known in the community for her volunteer work and mentoring of other leaders. Alison’s previous roles include general manager of Plunket where she introduced a financial reporting structure enabling the board to make decisions to improve the delivery of services to parents of young children.

Rob McLeod, managing partner and CEO of Ernst & Young Oceania (NZ, Australia and Fiji) has also been named as a finalist. Rob is the chairman of the New Zealand Business Roundtable and is lead negotiator for the Ngati Porou Hapu Treaty Settlement Committee. Rob’s contributions to the accounting profession go far beyond his impressive business achievements. His determination to build a better New Zealand has seen him take a leadership role in galvanizing New Zealand’s business community to shape public policy and in personally supporting Maori economic and social development interests.

“This year’s finalists for the 2010 Hays Chartered Accountant of the Year Award are some of New Zealand’s top business leaders who have shown clear leadership qualities throughout their distinguished careers,” Mr McLaughlin says.

Also announced today are the six finalists for the Telecom Outstanding New Member of the Year Award which recognises accountants new to the profession who have most effectively demonstrated leadership and contributed to the success of their employer, clients or the accounting profession during their career to date.

Finalists in the Telecom Outstanding New Member of the Year Award include Timothy Watts, entrepreneur and CEO of GradConnectionNZ in Wellington Timothy is at the forefront of refining the way tertiary students go about researching and evaluating career paths. Via his company GradConnectionNZ, accounting employers can showcase career opportunities to students. Timothy also leads the company’s social internet strategy including accounting graduate forums, Facebook and Twitter.

Rebecca Lambert-Lane of Sprays Marks Group in Ashburton is also a new member finalist. Rebecca left school at 15 to pursue a hairdressing career. Now at the age of 33, Rebecca has been a fully qualified Associate Chartered Accountant for three years and has had a vast amount of experience working in various roles at Colgate Palmolive (Wellington), Fonterra (Clandeboye) and currently as financial and commercial manager at Spraymarks Group (Ashburton).

Nigel McWilliam, another new member finalist was made partner of Diprose Miller in Hamilton in 2007. Nigel qualified as a Chartered Accountant in 2004 after more than ten years in the banking industry where he worked in senior agri-business management roles. In 2005 McWilliam led the opening of a second office in Morrinsville which was profitable from year one and has now grown to six full time staff.

“Finalists for the Telecom Outstanding New Member of the Year Award have demonstrated leadership qualities and commitment to the profession early in their careers,” Mr McLaughlin says. “We look forward to watching new member finalists continue to develop their leadership skills as their careers progress.”

Also announced today are the Crombie Lockwood Annual Report Awards. Finalists for the Crombie Lockwood best annual report by a corporate organisation are Auckland International Airport, Christchurch International Airport, Marlborough Lines, Telecom New Zealand, The New Zealand Refining Company and Zespri.

Finalists for the Crombie Lockwood best annual report by a public sector organisation are GNS Science, Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation, Manukau City Council, Reserve Bank of New Zealand and Watercare Services.

Finalists for the Crombie Lockwood best annual report by a not-for-profit organisation are Agriculture Industry Training Organisation, Building & Construction Industry Training Organisation, Competenz, Netball New Zealand and Parents Incorporated.

Finalists for the Crombie Lockwood best sustainability reporting award are Auckland City Council and the National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research.

Below is a full list of the 2010 Leadership Awards finalists:

Hays Chartered Accountant of the Year
• Neville Bain, Chairman, Institute of Directors, London
• Rob McLeod, Oceania Managing Partner & CEO, Ernst & Young, Sydney
• Alison Molloy, Chief Executive, Autism New Zealand Inc, Wellington
• Brian Roche, Chief Executive, NZ Post, Wellington
• Gary Swift, Chief Financial Officer, Watercare Services Ltd, Auckland
• John Waller, Independent Director, Auckland
Telecom Outstanding New Member of the Year
• Gina Cook, Partner, PKF Ross Melville, North Harbour
• Cassandra Crowley, General Manager, Local Government Online, Wellington
• Rebecca Lambert-Lane, Finance and Commercial Manager, Spray Marks Group, Ashburton
• Nigel McWilliam, Director, Diprose Miller Ltd, Morrinsville
• Steven Stark, Partner, BDO Waikato, Hamilton
• Tim Watts, Director, GradConnectionNZ New Zealand, Wellington
Crombie Lockwood best annual report by a corporate organisation
• Auckland International Airport
• Christchurch International Airport
• Marlborough Lines
• Telecom New Zealand
• The New Zealand Refining Company
• Zespri
Crombie Lockwood best annual report by a public sector organisation
• GNS Science
• Guardians of New Zealand Superannuation
• Manukau City Council
• Reserve Bank of New Zealand
• Watercare Services
Crombie Lockwood best annual report by a not-for-profit organisation
• Agriculture Industry Training Organisation
• Building & Construction Industry Training Organisation
• Competenz
• Netball New Zealand
• Parents Incorporated
Crombie Lockwood best sustainability reporting
• Auckland City Council
• National Institute of Water and Atmospheric Research

ENDS

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