Jemma Newton takes over as EY’s new Perth managing partner
Big Four professional services firm Ernst & Young has appointed audit & assurance partner Jemma Newton as its new Perth managing partner, replacing Fiona Drummond after more than eight years.
A two-decade company veteran, Newton has been with Ernst & Young for almost the entirety of her career, joining the Big Four firm in Perth in 2006 following two years with Australian National Audit Office on the back of a commerce/economics degree at ANU.
Meanwhile, Drummond has been with the firm for close to three and a half decades, joining in 1993 shortly after its formation and local market upheaval, and was appointed ‘Western Region’ managing partner in 2018 after becoming the WA firm’s first female partner in 2004.
Newton said of her appointment: “Having spent over 20 years at EY, I have had the privilege of working alongside talented people and exceptional clients and leaders who have shaped both my career and our office. I am incredibly honoured to have commenced as Perth managing partner, a role I take on with genuine excitement, humility, and a strong sense of responsibility.”
As per her LinkedIn profile, Newton supports large, complex, multinational listed and private organisations across a broad range of sectors with assurance and technical advisory services – with a particular focus on clients in the resources, mining, energy, and agribusiness sectors as well as not-for-profits and those in retail & consumer, industrial products, and property.
“Western Australia is a unique and dynamic market, and I’m excited to build on the strong foundations already in place to help create lasting impact across our special state,” Newton continued. “I would also like to sincerely thank Fiona for her leadership, mentorship, and unwavering commitment to Perth, having led through periods of significant change and growth.”
As a new state or territory managing partner, Newton joins Clare Sporle, Linzi Carr, and Louise MacDonald in New South Wales, South Australia, and Canberra, who were all elevated in 2024, along with more recent appointee Michael Daly as Melbourne office managing partner and longer-term leader Alison de Groot in Queensland, who has held the role since 2018.
