The Treasury announces key leadership appointments

Treasury Secretary John Whitehead today announced the appointment of several key leadership positions to the organisation, following this year’s leadership review:

• Deputy Chief Executive – Gabriel Makhlouf
• Deputy Chief Executive – Andrew Kibblewhite
• Chief Economist  –  Norman Gemmell
• General Manager Crown Ownership and State Sector Performance – John Crawford
• Deputy Secretary Sector Performance – David Wood
• Deputy Secretary Financial Operations/Head of NZ Debt Management Office –  Phil Combes
• Chief Financial Officer/Chief Accountant –  Fergus Welsh

"These are important new roles, and I look forward to the contribution that the leadership team will make in helping the Treasury work to its collective strengths," Mr Whitehead said.

"I am confident that the calibre of the new leadership team will help deliver my vision for the Treasury – that it will be recognised for shaping and influencing the agenda, and a commitment to excellence in implementation."

Profile: Gabriel Makhlouf#

Mr Makhlouf is a UK civil servant whose career has been in HM Inland Revenue, HM Treasury and HM Revenue & Customs.  He has chaired the tax rule-making body at the OECD, was Principal Private Secretary to former Chancellor of the Exchequer Gordon Brown, and led one of HMRC’s biggest operational directorates. He will take up his position on 15 March.

Profile: Andrew Kibblewhite#

Mr Kibblewhite is Director of the Policy Advisory Group at the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. He began his career at the Treasury and in 2002 became General Manager Strategic Development at the Ministry of Research, Science and Technology. He spent five months on secondment to Industrial Research Ltd as General Manager Research and Development Operations. His start date is yet to be confirmed.

Profile: Norman Gemmell#

Dr Gemmell is Principal Advisor in the Tax Strategy Unit of the Treasury. He was an Assistant Director of the Research and Analysis Department at HM Revenue & Customs in the UK, and has wide experience as an economic adviser for the World Bank, the European Commission and the UNDP. He will take up his position early in the new year.

Profile: John Crawford#

Mr Crawford is the Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet’s lead policy advisor on economic policy areas that include transport, energy, infrastructure and economic development. His career has included stints at NZ Trade and Enterprise, at Investment NZ, and at Deutsche Bank AG. He will take up his position in mid February.

Profile: David Wood#

Mr Wood joined the Treasury in 2000 as a Principal Advisor. From 2003 to 2006 he was seconded as Economic Counsellor to New Zealand’s Permanent Delegation to the OECD in Paris. He worked in UK local government as a Head of Service while on leave from the Treasury and rejoined the organisation in July 2009. He is currently acting as General Manager Crown Ownership and State Sector Performance.

Profile: Phil Combes#

Mr Combes started at the Treasury in 2002 as the Treasurer NZDMO. He became the Assistant Secretary NZDMO/Treasurer in 2007.  He has worked for Tasmanian Public Finance Corporation, the Department of Housing and Urban Development, and the South Australian Government Financing Authority. He takes up his new position with immediate effect.

Profile: Fergus Welsh#

Mr Welsh is Group Manager of Performance, Governance and Assurance at the Ministry of Economic Development. He has held the positions of Chief Financial Officer, Acting Deputy Secretary of the Corporate Branch, and Acting Chief Advisor of Finance, Information and Administration. He will take up his position on 8 February.

ENDS