Adrian Chugg new South Australia leader of William Buck
Continuing a major senior leadership transition for William Buck across the country, veteran Adrian Chugg has been named as managing director for South Australia.
Accounting and consulting firm William Buck has appointed two-decade company veteran Adrian Chugg as its next managing director for South Australia, just the 7th person to occupy the top seat in the firm’s near 80-year local history.
Chugg will succeed Jamie McKeough from the start of July when the latter steps down after 18 years in the role, continuing a major senior leadership transition since the beginning of last year.
A member of the firm’s executive for the past six years, Chugg first joined William Buck’s Adelaide office in 2003 before being promoted to director five years on. Credited for its establishment in 2014, Chugg currently leads the SA firm’s corporate finance division, providing expertise in business transactions and valuations for clients spanning multiple industries including oil & gas, retail, manufacturing, food services and property.
“I am honoured to take over the leadership of such a modern, dynamic team of dedicated professionals,” Chugg stated. “Since the Adelaide office was established in 1946, our firm has helped South Australian businesses and individuals reach their full potential. I look forward to building on that tradition and working with our director group and staff in helping our clients maximise the opportunities that lie ahead.”
That director group includes 24 individuals, including recent addition Tricia Kleinig, who together lead a local team of around 230 professionals. At the head of the table for almost the past two decades has been Jamie McKeough, who has also served as William Buck’s A/NZ chair since 2021, a role he will continue in alongside taking up a newly-created position as executive chair for Adelaide – extending a 36-year stint at the firm.
“It has been an absolute privilege to lead this great firm for the past 18 years,” McKeough said. “Our firm has grown significantly and our clients are among the most successful businesses and families in this state. This has been a well-planned transition and I’m very confident that, in Adrian, our firm has the ideal leader to take it well into the future with his positive outlook, exceptional business acumen, and highly personable approach.”
The latest leadership handover across William Buck’s Australian and New Zealand offices continues a significant period of transition for the firm, which hovers just outside the country’s top ten largest of its kind by revenue. The past twelve months have seen Greg Travers and Conley Manifistakes take over from long-term leaders Nick Hatzistergos and Mark Collins in NSW and WA, while Darren Wright was earlier appointed managing director in New Zealand.
