Winners of the NZICA Leadership Awards

Under embargo until 10pm 11 November 2009

Media Release:

Winners of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants
2009 Leadership Awards

“I am proud to congratulate Kevin Brady, Warwick Hunt and Leon Wijohn as winners of the New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants 2009 Leadership Awards,” Terry McLaughlin, Chief Executive, New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants, said today.

“These extraordinary leaders have excelled in their accountancy careers, their businesses and in their services to the community.”

“Kevin Brady has been awarded the Outstanding Service to the Profession Award. Kevin has recently retired after 38 years in the Auditor-General’s office, the last seven years as Controller and Auditor-General. He served this role with unimpeachable integrity and professionalism.”

“Warwick Hunt has won the Chartered Accountant of the Year Award. Warwick led PricewaterhouseCoopers to major business success in New Zealand and is now leading the Middle East region. Warwick’s leadership has been industry-wide, including chairing the Accounting Standards Review Board.”

“Leon Wijohn has won the Outstanding New Member Award. Leon started his Chartered Accounting business four years ago and now has over 300 clients. He specialises in working with small business, Maori Trusts and Maori-owned operations.” said Mr McLaughlin.

The Institute’s President Linda Turner presented the awards to Warwick Hunt and Leon Wijohn at a gala dinner in Wellington tonight. (Kevin Brady is currently overseas.)

The Minister of Commerce, Hon. Simon Power, presented the winners of the annual report awards. These awards recognize organisations that have excelled at reporting their achievements to stakeholders, investors and the public.
Mr McLaughlin said the commitment to preparing a good annual report is a strong indicator that the organisation has an equally strong commitment to sound performance.
“Congratulations to The New Zealand Refining Company Limited, Watercare Services Limited and the Agriculture Industry Training Organisation for winning the annual report awards and going the extra mile to communicate their organisation’s performance.”
“I congratulate all of the winners. I would also like to acknowledge all of the finalists and entrants for the 2009 Leadership Awards,” said Mr McLaughlin.

Full List of Leadership Awards winners (Detailed individual profiles on following pages)
• Outstanding Service to the Profession: Kevin Brady, recently retired Controller and Auditor-General, Wellington
• Chartered Accountant of the Year: Warwick Hunt, PricewaterhouseCoopers, Dubai
• Outstanding New Member: Leon Wijohn, Wijohn Chartered Accountants, Auckland

• Best annual reporting by a corporate organisation: The New Zealand Refining Company Limited
• Best annual reporting by a public sector organisation: Watercare Services Limited
• Best annual reporting by not-for-profit organisation: Agriculture Industry Training Organisation
• Best sustainability reporting: Watercare Services Limited
• Innovative annual reporting: The New Zealand Refining Company Limited

The New Zealand Institute of Chartered Accountants acknowledges the support of the following organisations for the 2009 Leadership Awards: Crombie Lockwood, ASB, Peugeot, Human Synergistics, the National Business Review and American Express.

Profiles of individual winners

Outstanding Service to the Profession Award, Kevin Brady

Kevin Brady recently retired as New Zealand’s Controller and Auditor-General, after having served in that role since his appointment seven years ago. As Controller and Auditor-General Kevin exemplified the qualities of independence, honesty, professionalism and unimpeachable integrity. In recognition of the high esteem in which Kevin is held throughout the wider community he was named as the New Zealand Herald joint New Zealander of the Year in 2006.

Kevin has had a long and successful career as a Chartered Accountant, including 38 years of public service with the Office of the Auditor-General. He commenced employment with the Office of the Auditor-General in 1971 and was posted to various roles in Napier, Palmerston North, Timaru and Wellington. In 1990 he was appointed Assistant Auditor-General, Local Government, and subsequently promoted to Controller and Auditor-General, a position he held until his retirement earlier this year.

The Controller and Auditor-General is an Officer of Parliament. The work undertaken by the Controller and Auditor-General can often be contentious, and to his credit, Kevin maintained his integrity and professionalism throughout his term and is still held in high regard today through his commitment to these exacting standards.

Kevin has always maintained a strong interest in the Institute, often engaging with the standard setters on the practical application of various standards in the public sector. He has expressed these views in his characteristic forthright and robust manner.

Chartered Accountant of the Year Award, Warwick Hunt

Warwick has just begun a new role as PricewaterhouseCoopers’ Managing Partner, Middle East Region. He is based in Dubai and leads 3000 staff based in the 17 PricewaterhouseCoopers firms in the Middle East and Africa.

Prior to his new role, Warwick was Chief Executive Officer of PricewaterhouseCoopers in New Zealand. Warwick’s tenure will be remembered for the most significant period of growth in the history of the firm and for achieving a significant improvement in organisational culture.

While in this role, Warwick spent approximately half of his time directly servicing PwC’s three largest Assurance clients: Fonterra, Commonwealth Bank (including ASB Bank) and New Zealand Post. In two instances, he led the competitive proposal efforts to win each of the Fonterra and the ASB audits, the largest audit service proposals contested in New Zealand over the period 2003 to 2009.

Warwick has made a significant contribution to the accounting profession. Until recently he chaired the Accounting Standards Review Board and oversaw a significant period of change in New Zealand reporting standards. He has also chaired the Trans Tasman Accounting and Auditing Standards Advisory Group and was a member of the Australian Financial Reporting Council. Warwick is also a Board Member for the charitable organisation Parenting with Confidence (also known as Parents Inc.)

The judging panel commented that Warwick is an outstanding leader who has made a real difference to his firm, his clients and the accounting profession. He is a strategic thinker with clarity of vision and uses structured processes to successfully implement his key strategies. He is a great ambassador for the New Zealand accounting profession and the judges wish him well for his new role in the Middle East.

Outstanding New Member Award, Leon Wijohn, (Te Rarawa, Ngai Tuhoe)

In the four years since Leon Wijohn qualified as a Chartered Accountant, he has made a significant difference to his local business community, the accounting profession and Maori businesses. Leon’s firm, Auckland-based Wijohn Chartered Accountants, started from scratch in 2005 and now provides accounting services to over 300 clients and employs six staff.

Leon has used his leadership skills to add value to his clients and grow his business which specialises in working with small business, Maori Trusts and Maori-owned operations.

Leon combines his personal and professional passion well. He enjoys being involved in and helping the Maori community and he wins and develops his business through these networks. The judges noted that Leon’s leadership style is one of coaching. He has coached most of his life, whether that is coaching rugby since the age of 14, to coaching the businesses he works with.

The judges also noted Leon’s passion for supporting his clients. He ensures clients have good systems to provide relevant and up-to-date information and that this is supported by good governance processes. As part of his commitment to enhancing Maori development, Leon provides his accounting services and expertise to a number of community groups at no charge.

Leon is a director of Te Waka Pupuri Putea Limited, Te Rarawa’s asset holding company, and a Treasurer for Te Hunga Roia Maori o Aotearoa (the New Zealand Maori Law Society).

Leon is also actively involved in encouraging young Maori students into the accounting profession through his work with Nga Kaitatau Maori o Aotearoa (the National Maori Accountants Network) and as chair of the Maori Accountants Special Interest Group for Auckland and Northland.
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