DFK appoints leaders Gary Nugent and Graeme Brown
Accounting and consulting association DFK has appointed Melbourne-based Gary Nugent as its new Australian & New Zealand chairman, with Graeme Brown of DFK in Canberra also joining the board.
A four-decade industry veteran, Nugent is the long-term managing partner of DFK Nugents, which is based out of Melbourne with a second branch in Griffith and is one of twelve member firm’s that constitute DFK ANZ.
Brown meanwhile joins the national board from Canberra-based member DFK Everalls, where he has served as a director for the past two years after crossing from an almost three-decade career at local accountancy The Firm.
“Building the DFK ANZ membership group is a key priority of the board,” Nugent stated upon his appointment. “The improvement in our HR, marketing, IT, and technical offerings provides huge upside compared to doing these things solo in-house. We are able to offer our team much greater opportunity and engagement with young, talented, and aspiring professionals.”
Nugent added that his vision was for an engaged and dynamic board working to embrace a younger and more diverse talent pool to ensure the association would grow into the future. Consistently one of the top 25 networks in the country, DFK’s Australian branch was originally established in 1991, but recently copped a hit when its sizable DFK Crosbie member in Newcastle defected to Pitcher Partners in 2021.
A member of the board since 2017, Nugent takes over chair duties from Gavin Johns, a partner at DFK Hirn Newey in Brisbane who has carried out the role since 2021 and recently joined the DFK International advisory board. Meanwhile, Stephen Bushell, the managing partner of Perth-based member DFK Gooding Partners, is currently serving as DFK International president.
Speaking on his own appointment to the national board following DFK ANZ’s recent annual conference in Perth, Brown said he was excited to get the chance to make a contribution to the wider organisation. “It’s an honour to accept the role, and I’m looking forward to the opportunity to work with the other board members to continue the development of our alliance.”