Champion of Gender Equity and Indigenous Engagement

Sir Rob McLeod, the champion of gender equity and indigenous engagement, has won the 2019 Outstanding Contribution to Finance & Business award at the New Zealand CFO Awards.

McLeod received the award for an exceptional career built on tax expertise, leadership as chief executive of an accounting firm EY Australia and an almost unparalleled role in finance, governance and Maori and Australian indigenous initiatives.

In EY, he had an active agenda for gender equity and championed indigenous initiatives. This included EY filing its first reconciliation action plan in Australia. McLeod also served on the Business Council of Australia's taskforces on Indigenous Engagement and Economic Policy and Competitiveness. He was also a member of the Te Puni Kokiri, the Hui Taumata Taskforce, the Maori Economic Development Taskforce, and The Treaty of Waitangi Fisheries Commission. McLeod was also a leading negotiator for the Ngati Porou.