Sapere makes several promotions in Australia and New Zealand

Sapere has promoted Sue Friend to managing director, while welcoming the return of principal consultant Sally Wyatt after her recent stint as the chief economist for the Cook Islands.

Based out of Wellington, Wyatt previously spent more than a decade and a half with Sapere in a law and economics consulting role prior to joining the Cook Islands Ministry of Finance and Economic Management in mid-2021.

Meanwhile, Sue Friend has been made a managing director in Melbourne amid a round of senior promotions, including Angus White stepping up as a director and Corina Comendant, Mark Arena, and William Li as principal.

Established in 2010 following a management buyout of LECG’s local business, Sapere today has a headcount of around 60, and proudly notes that the majority of its professionals hold post-graduate credentials. The consulting firm provides economics, forensic accounting, valuations and public policy advisory to government agencies, regulatory bodies and corporates such as major law firms.

Sue Friend
A specialist in damages, financial modelling, forensic accounting and valuations who has regularly served as an expert witness in compensation claims and commercial damages matters, Friend has been promoted to managing director level in Melbourne alongside David Graham after having joined LECG in 2008. She also previously spent seven years with PwC in Hong Kong.

Angus White
White meanwhile becomes a director in Wellington after just over two years with the firm, having previously spent time with the New Zealand Treasury and Ministry of Environment developing policy expertise in economic and regulatory analysis, data analytics and financial modelling across a range of sectors including energy, transport, logistics, education, health and science.

Sally Wyatt
Having first joined Sapere in 2006 after a five-year stint at PwC, Wyatt has served as the Cook Islands chief economist for the past two years. In this role, she is credited with having played a major part in the country’s economic turnaround following the devastating impacts of Covid-19, while also leading key policy initiatives in areas such as e-commerce and government connectivity.

New Principals
Sapere has also elevated three new principals: Mark Arena in Sydney (business valuations, disputes and claims), William Li in Melbourne (economic policy development, modelling and data analytics), and Corina Comendant in Auckland (environmental economics, energy policy and regulatory reform), all who have been with the consulting firm for upwards of five years.