Cindy Hook appointed new CEO of Deloitte Australia
Cindy Hook has been appointed as Deloitte Australia’s new Chief Executive Officer as of the 1st of February 2015. The appointment makes Australian history as the first time that a Big Four firm is led by a woman.
The accounting and consulting world has traditionally been a male dominated sphere, especially when looking at the top-end management of companies. Taking a leap into diversity, Deloitte has appointed Cindy Hook as it’s new CEO, the first woman to take the top job. Having been with Deloitte since 2009 in Australia, Hook has spent the past five years in senior executive and leadership roles.
Before Hook migrated to Australia, she was located at Deloitte’s San Francisco practice for 23 years, having been a Deloitte Partner since 1998. She studied at Miami University in Oxford, Ohio, and obtained a Bachelor of Business Administration. Hook is a member of the Australian Institute of Chartered Accountants and the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants.
In her pervious role, Hook was the National Managing Partner of Assurance and Advisory, which according to Deloitte Chairman Keith Jones, she undertook in an “outstanding” manner. “Cindy is an exceptional leader. Her track record in transforming our audit practice has been extraordinary,” comments Jones, adding later that: “Under her leadership, Deloitte increased its share of listed company audits, was recognised as the Audit Firm of the Year in the 2013/14 Financial Review CFO Awards, while also winning an Australian International Design Award for audit services, a first for a professional services firm.”
“I am honoured and excited to have been selected to lead this wonderful firm,” says Hook on her appointment. She will however be tasked with big boots to fill as under her predecessor Giam Swiegers – who led the firm for 12 years – Deloitte moved from fourth in the Big Four rankings to second place in 2014. Hook is confident though, stating: “I am determined to continue Deloitte’s momentum based on our differentiated offering, which is resonating so strongly in the market. My mission is to lead Deloitte to even greater things.”
The male dominated Big Four
The other three firms that comprise the Big Four in Australia are all headed by men. KPMG Australia is since July 2013 headed by Gary Wingrove, Luke Sayers is the CEO of PwC Australia, and EY is headed by Rob McLeod, who was promoted to Managing Partner and CEO in July 2010.
Outside the Big Four, Grant Thornton UK recently appointed Sacha Romanovitch as its first female CEO in the country.
