John O'Connell

Audit Director

 

John started with Audit New Zealand in 1991. He has a varied portfolio covering both the central and local government sectors. John has also carried out a number of significant probity and governance reviews.

Before joining Audit New Zealand, John spent 13 years auditing in public practice and a number of years in senior financial management positions both in New Zealand and overseas.

Ajay Sharma

Audit Director

 

Ajay has been with Audit New Zealand since 1990. His public sector audit experience includes central government entities, State-owned enterprises, Crown entities, and tertiary education institutions. Some of Ajay's large clients include the Ministry of Social Development, Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade, New Zealand Customs Service, and the Ministry for the Environment. Ajay is a member of our central government and Crown entity sector group.

Ajay has conducted a number of special reviews for audit clients. In 2003 he worked with Te Puni Kokiri on financial reviews for funding that was part of the "Reducing Social Inequalities Package". Recently he has been involved with auditing the Crown's obligations under the Kyoto Protocol. Before joining Audit New Zealand, Ajay was an external auditor with an international chartered accounting firm.

Robert Manktelow

Audit Director

 

Robert joined us in October 2007. His client portfolio includes Inland Revenue, Ministry of Research, Science and Technology (MoRST), and a number of Crown entities.

Before coming to Audit New Zealand, Robert had 17 years of public sector experience in the United Kingdom. This included 11 years with the National Audit Office and 6 years in government department/crown entity bodies. In additional to audit he has worked in policy, financial management, IT development, business process re-engineering, and change management. Most recently, Robert was the Chief Financial Officer of a UK equivalent to a Crown entity.

Clare Helm

Audit Director

 

Clare has worked for Audit New Zealand since 1993. During Clare's time with us she has worked on a range of clients in the central government, Crown entity, tertiary education, and local government sectors.

Before joining Audit New Zealand, Clare worked in the north of England as an audit manager.

Stephen Lucy

Audit Director

 

Stephen has been with us since 1999 and specialises in central government and Crown entities work, with a particular focus on the health and tertiary education sectors.

Stephen's current clients include the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet, the Ministry of Defence, the New Zealand Defence Force, Te Wānanga o Aotearoa, Te Wānanga-o-Raukawa, Te Whare Wānanga o Awanuiārangi, and a number of Māori Trust Boards. In the health sector, Stephen is responsible for the audits of the Capital and Coast District Health Board and Hawke's Bay District Health Board.

Before joining Audit New Zealand, Stephen worked for Lakes DHB and KPMG (here and in the United Kingdom).

Peter Davies

Director, Specialist Assurance Services

 

Peter joined Audit New Zealand in September 2004. He provides specialist project and contract management advice to a range of government agencies. Peter is a professional civil engineer with extensive experience on large civil engineering projects.

During the 1980s he was involved in the construction of the Clyde Dam in Central Otago. From 1990 to 1995, he worked on the construction of an underground railway project in London. In 1995, Peter returned to New Zealand as Regional Operations Manager for the Manawatu-Wanganui Regional Council. In 2000, he became Chief Executive of that council until 2004. During 2004, he managed two major disasters that afflicted the Manawatu-Wanganui and Bay of Plenty regions.

Phil Kennerley

Audit Director

 

Phil joined Audit New Zealand as an Audit Director in November 2008. He is responsible for a portfolio of central government, crown, tertiary education, and local government entities. These include the National Library, Te Puni Kōkiri, the Electricity Commission, the Correspondence School, Universal College of Learning (UCOL), Rangitikei District Council, and Upper Hutt City Council.

His earlier experience included senior management accounting roles in Anchor Foods Limited (United Kingdom) and the New Zealand Dairy Board, Group Financial Controller for ENZA, Chief Financial Officer (CFO) for the Frucor Group, and Company Secretary/CFO for Rembrandt Suits Limited.

Phil started his career with the Audit Office in Wellington, where he carried out a wide range of audits, including mainly statutory boards and local authorities, before a four-year term as senior auditor in London.

Clint Ramoo

Audit Director

 

Clint joined Audit New Zealand in July 2009. He is responsible for a range of clients in the central government, Crown entity, tertiary, and local government sectors.

Before joining Audit New Zealand, Clint spent 13 years at a CA firm in South Africa, exiting at the level of Partner. His client portfolio was predominantly in the public sector focusing on regional and local government organisations, public entities, and tertiary institutions. As well as providing financial audit services, he also provided assurance and consulting services to a number of public sector clients. His last position before moving to New Zealand was that of Chief Financial Officer at a tertiary institution.

Mark Jensen

Associate Director, Specialist Assurance Services

 

Mark returned to New Zealand, and began working for Audit New Zealand, in September 2006. He has over 20 years experience in the construction and facilities management industries. His professional experience includes project management, procurement, tendering, contract management, risk management, cost estimation, continuous improvement, quality management auditing and benchmarking.

Having spent the last 12 years living in the United Kingdom, Mark worked for Pfizer, the world's largest biomedical research organisation, and Bovis Construction, one of the world's leading companies in project management and construction services. At Pfizer he had leadership roles in the design and delivery of site and global 'business excellence' solutions, spanning the United Kingdom, United States, and Europe. At Bovis Construction, Mark was employed as a senior Quality Manager. Before leaving for the United Kingdom, Mark worked as a Quantity Surveyor.

Martin Richardson

Associate Director, Specialist Assurance Services

 

Martin joined Audit New Zealand in 2007. He has particular interests in performance measurement, management and reporting, asset management, and regeneration. This is his second stint with Audit New Zealand, having been seconded from the UK to work on Long-term Council Community Plans in 2005/06.

Martin spent 10 years with the UK Audit Commission, leading a team of local government performance auditors and inspectors. For two years he was seconded to the Neighbourhood Renewal Unit in the Office of the Deputy Prime Minister, London. He also designed and implemented a performance management framework for the ₤3 billion New Deal for Communities programme and worked on performance assessment of Local Strategic Partnerships.

A Chartered Surveyor by profession, before joining the Audit Commission Martin spent 10 years working on mapping and civil engineering projects across the UK. He also spent time with the Ministry of Agriculture in Grenada, West Indies, working on a land redistribution programme.

Karen Young

Associate Director

 

Karen joined Audit New Zealand in 1995. Her auditing experience includes a range of public sector organisations, including central government, Crown entities, health, and local government.

Kelly Rushton

Associate Director

 

Kelly started with Audit New Zealand in 1998. Kelly has worked on a range of clients, focusing mainly on central government and Crown entities, but including tertiary education and health sector clients. As well as managing audit assignments, he has undertaken client-requested and taxpayer-initiated assurance engagements.

During his time with us, Kelly spent 18 months working in the National Audit Office in London.

Bill Inglis

Principal, Specialist Assurance Services

 

Bill started with Audit New Zealand in 1999. He delivers independent quality assurance on the management of procurement, contracts, projects, information technology, business change management projects, and financial/treasury/costing advisory models.

Bill has over 20 years of experience in consulting to governmental, financial, utility, and healthcare organisations. Before joining Audit New Zealand, Bill was a management consultant in senior consultancy roles for EDS, Ernst and Young, and PricewaterhouseCoopers.

Bradley Young

Audit Manager

 

Bradley began his Audit New Zealand career in 2000.

Bradley gained his auditing experience with a range of public sector clients in the central government, Crown entity, and tertiary education sectors. Bradley acquired private sector experience by working for Ernst & Young in Sydney.

Chee Hong Lim

Audit Manager

 

Chee Hong joined Audit New Zealand in 2004. His current client portfolio includes goverment departments, crown entities, district health boards and tertiary institutions.

Audit New Zealand has added a public sector dimension to Chee Hong's experience; after graduating from the Systematic Business Training Centre in Malaysia, he worked in medium-sized chartered accountancy firms before moving into internal auditing. Chee Hong also spent 10 years in internal auditing at two large banks in Malaysia. He is a fellow member of the Chartered Association of Certified Accountants (UK) and a Chartered Accountant registered with the Malaysian Institute of Accountants.

Iain Craig

Audit Manager

 

Iain began his career with Audit New Zealand in March 1998 as graduate trainee. He is Group Manager for our tertiary sector group, and is involved in facilitating the resourcing process.

Before starting at Audit New Zealand, Iain was involved in life insurance and superannuation administration in New Zealand and Britain.

Jayne Winfield

Audit Manager

 

Jayne has worked for Audit New Zealand since February 2000, on a range of clients in the central government, Crown entity, Trust board, and local government sectors. Jayne has recently been working with the Executive Leadership Team within Audit New Zealand. She currently works predominantly in the defence sector, but has a broad range of central government and Crown entity clients, including the financial statements of the government consolidation.

David Kidman

Audit Manager

 

David has worked for Audit New Zealand since 2002 across the Central Government, Crown Entity and Local Government sectors. In addition to managing a portfolio of audit clients, David has been involved with taxpayer-initiated enquiries as well as assisting with Audit New Zealand's staff development programme.

David supplemented his New Zealand experience in 2006 by participating in a secondment to the National Audit Office based in London.

Nicola Hankinson

Audit Manager

 

Audit New Zealand was delighted to welcome Nicola back – to New Zealand and to us – in October 2007. Having started her career at Audit New Zealand in 1999, Nicola’s audit portfolio now includes central government, Crown entity, State-owned enterprise, council-controlled organisation, and Māori Trust clients.

While travelling overseas, Nicola worked as an internal auditor at the Department of Environment Food and Rural Affairs, Parkhill Audit Agency (the agency responsible for auditing the National Health Service), Cancer Research UK, the Strategic Rail Authority, PricewaterhouseCoopers, and Deloitte.

Naude Kotze

Audit Manager

 

Naudé joined Audit New Zealand as an Audit Manager in July 2008. His current portfolio includes clients from the crown entity and the central government sectors.

Naudé worked for the Auditor-General of South Africa for more than 20 years. In recent years, he also assisted the United Nations Board of Auditors with audits conducted in the near Middle East.

Beverley Alloway

Audit Manager

 

Bev has been with Audit New Zealand since 2007 when she joined as a Supervising Senior. Her client portfolio includes clients in central government and crown entity sectors.

Before coming to New Zealand Bev worked for the Audit Commission in the United Kingdom where she worked on a range of clients in the Local Government and Health sectors.

Shona Meyrick

Audit Manager

 

Shona Meyrick joined Audit New Zealand in January 2009 on a two year secondment from PricewaterhouseCoopers. Shona's audit portfolio now includes central government, crown entity, and local government clients.

Whilst working for PricewaterhouseCoopers' United Kingdom public sector practice, she gained a wide range of knowledge and experience in different United Kingdom government sectors. Most recently Shona specialised in the health sector, working with clients such as Cambridge University Hospital's National Health Service Foundation Trust ("Addenbrookes"), Norfolk and Norwich University Hospital's National Health Service Foundation Trust, and the East of England Ambulance Service's National Health Service Trust.

Sarah Hardy

Audit Manager

 

Sarah joined Audit New Zealand as an Audit Manager in April 2009. Her portfolio includes central government, local government, and crown entity clients.

Before joining Audit New Zealand Sarah worked for PricewaterhouseCoopers in the United Kingdom. She gained experience in local and central government sectors and has worked with education and health clients, both in external and internal audit.

Jan Venter

Manager, Information Systems Audit and Assurance

 

Jan joined Audit New Zealand in December 2008. His current portfolio includes both financial and information systems audits.

Jan's experience spans more than 20 years, and includes financial, information systems, and project auditing. Most of Jan's work was with the internal audit department in the South African Reserve Bank, and the computer audit section of the Office of the Auditor General (South Africa). Jan helped to develop audit methodologies that align with best practice risk management and control frameworks.

Thor Gudjonsson

Audit Manager

 

Thor joined Audit New Zealand as a graduate in our Dunedin office in 2004, before moving to work in our Wellington office in 2008.

He has a varied portfolio covering the local government, health, central government, and Crown entities sectors.