Deloitte APAC COO David Hill firms as likely Cindy Hook replacement
With incumbent Deloitte Asia Pacific CEO Cindy Hook opting against nominating for re-election in May, the firm’s selection committee has forwarded COO David Hill as the sole candidate for the role.
Company veteran David Hill has firmed as Deloitte’s next Asia Pacific chief executive, reported by the AFR as the sole candidate to have been nominated by the selection committee. A replacement is being sought for Cindy Hook, the inaugural boss of the firm’s merged Asia Pacific unit and the first woman to lead a Big Four in Australia, who indicated last year that she would be stepping down in May.
Deloitte Asia Pacific’s Chief Operating Officer since its formation, as well as currently being deputy CEO, Hill has held a number of high-level leadership positions with the professional services firm in Australia, including as COO for three and a half years prior to taking up his present post.
Hill also served as national managing partner for Deloitte Private, and the firm’s M&A Transaction services practice across five years.
After joining on the completion of a commerce degree with the University of Adelaide in 1995 (since adding an MBA) and working with the firm across Australia, the UK, US, Korea and Japan, Hill was in 2000 given responsibility for establishing Deloitte’s Corporate Finance practice in South Australia, serving as its lead partner for almost a decade to 2012. He was also one of 20 members on Deloitte’s Global Young Partner Advisory Council.
According to the AFR, Hill’s nomination will be forwarded for a vote among regional partners next month. Deloitte Asia Pacific including branches in Australia, New Zealand, China, Taiwan, Japan and eleven countries in Southeast Asia. Together the region now brings in $8.5 billion in revenues, and is Deloitte’s fastest-growing.
Hill was considered a strong contender for the top role in Australia in 2014 (alongside management consulting boss Adam Powick, who ultimately landed the job last year), vacated by now Aurecon chairman Giam Swiegers, before withdrawing as a candidate. That helped pave the way for the elevation of US-born Hook, who was elected with a near unanimous vote. After first arriving in the region in 2009, Hook now plans to return from Singapore to the US.
Hook’s birthplace withstanding, the leadership of Deloitte Asia Pacific already has a distinctly Australian flavour, the roughly $2.4 billion in revenues its Australian arm generates making it the firm’s largest money-spinner in the region. Melbourne-based Rod Hillard was last year appointed Asia Pacific consulting leader (replacing Powick), while the Australian member has also supplied the APAC unit with its CMO and CIO, respectively Matt McGrath and Kevin Russo.
