19 August 2024
PwC New Zealand Partner Karen Shires has been elected as Chair of the New Zealand firm, effective 1 October 2024.
Karen is a partner in Assurance, focussed on financial services and audits of large and complex organisations. She has been with PwC for over 33 years and became a partner in 2003. She has worked in both our Pōneke (Wellington) and Tāmaki Makaurau (Auckland) offices, in addition to several years with PwC in London. Karen is currently a member of our Executive Leadership Team (ELT) as the firm’s Chief Risk and Reputation Officer (CRRO), responsible for our Risk & Quality functions, regulatory relationships, brand engagement and our enterprise risk framework. As is best practice for governance roles, Karen will step down as CRRO on the ELT effective immediately to focus on her transition to Chair.
Karen succeeds Keren Blakey who concludes her term after four years in the role.
“We are delighted to welcome Karen as our next Chair. Having worked closely with her over the years, I am confident that her leadership and dedication to excellence will bring her every success in this role. Her commitment to strong governance and fostering collaboration will undoubtedly guide our firm as we move forward,” says Keren.
Karen says she is looking forward to working with the CEO and Board.
“I am honoured to take on the role of Chair of PwC New Zealand. I look forward to working with Andrew in his role as CEO, and our dedicated team to ensure robust governance and strategic oversight, as we deliver sustainable growth and value for our clients across Aotearoa, New Zealand”.
CEO and Senior Partner Andrew Holmes says, “Keren has made a significant contribution as Chair over the past four years. She stepped into the role during a period of significant disruption and complexity and has since been instrumental in helping our firm and clients navigate ongoing change. I have greatly valued Keren’s support and guidance during my first few months as CEO.
I’m excited about the firm’s future and look forward to working with Karen as our new Chair. Her deep understanding of the important role governance plays within an organisation will make her an outstanding Chair. At a time when businesses are facing a new era of reinvention, with increasing stakeholder expectations, Karen’s governance experience and industry expertise will be invaluable to our leadership team, partnership and firm.”
(Left to right - Keren Blakey, Karen Shires and Andrew Holmes)
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