Appointments signal a strengthening of the diverse leadership capability, the firm says.
KPMG New Zealand strengthens leadership capability across the firm.
KPMG has announced the appointments of Stephanie Ward and Rachael Niao, who have recently joined the partnership. The appointments build on those announced earlier this year of Sarah McGrath, Jodi Newth, Nick Moss, Leon Bowker, and Mike Lowe.
KPMG chief executive Godfrey Boyce said: “I am pleased to congratulate our newest partners formally. Their appointments reflect our firm’s determination to help New Zealand’s businesses succeed, the public sector to achieve more, and our communities to flourish.
“At KPMG, we draw strength and mana from our different backgrounds and experiences. Our partners work shoulder-to-shoulder with clients and our communities, so it’s important our leaders also reflect the clients we serve and the communities in which we live and work.
“As growth mindset leaders who have outstanding reputations both globally and locally, I am proud to have Stephanie and Rachael at the table,” he said.
Stephanie Ward, partner deal advisory
Based in the Auckland office, Stephanie brings both a global and local lens to developing solutions for New Zealand’s complex infrastructure needs, having worked in Canada, the UK and New Zealand. Ward specialises in providing commercial and financial advice to central and local governments, focusing on infrastructure, urban development, and utilities, and working at the interface of the public and private sectors.
Prior to KPMG, Stephanie worked in commercial roles for the New Zealand Treasury and Her Majesty’s Treasury in the UK, where she was involved in developing the world’s first social impact bond. From there, she grew her interest in sustainable infrastructure. Work since returning home has included work on the decarbonisation of the public bus fleet.
“Stephanie is highly regarded and is a sought-after influencer in her field,” Boyce said.
Rachael Niao, partner technology consulting
Globally accomplished technology architect and digital strategist Niao has joined KPMG NZ, returning from working across Europe, Asia, and Australia. She also returns home to her iwi; Ngāti Awa, Tūhoe, Ngāti Porou and Te Arawa.
Niao’s primary focus is on digital transformation. Her experience has seen her lead numerous assurance and assessment engagements while gaining extensive experience developing digital strategies and roadmaps. She has also performed lead roles on sizable digital transformation programmes, including enterprise cloud, analytics, and mobility solutions.
Niao is also deeply committed to inclusion and diversity, particularly with gender balance and the representation of minority groups. While in Asia-Pacific and Europe, she has applied her experience working across cultures to generate better results for clients. She is excited to use the same philosophies to support and drive better outcomes for Māori.
“As we expand our digital and transformation capability, we are fortunate to have Rachael join the firm at such a critical time for our clients, communities, and New Zealand as a whole,” Boyce said.
This is supplied content and not commissioned or paid for by NBR.
