Australia-based EY leaders take on new APAC and global roles

Ernst & Young’s Sydney-based leader Shannon Cotter has stepped up to the next level, appointed to oversee the practice for the Big Four firm’s Asia Pacific geography.

Joining the firm from KPMG in 2016, Cotter has led EY Oceania’s strategy & transactions team since 2021, taking over from CEO David Larocca, before which she served as Asia Pacific infrastructure advisory leader.

Cotter’s promotion comes amid a raft of mid-year hand-overs both globally and at the regional level – including within Australia – with Catherine Friday’s appointment as global government & infrastructure leader among them.

Shannon Cotter brings three decades worth of consulting and public sector experience to her new role, having spent more than half of that time at KPMGbetween Australia and the UK prior to joining Ernst & Young’s infrastructure advisory partnership in 2016. She originally kicked off her career with five years as an analyst in the Victorian government’s treasury & finance department.

While continuing to lead the Oceania strategy & transactions practice, Cotter takes over Asia Pacific duties from Yew-Poh Mak of Singapore, who has been appointed deputy to area managing partner Patrick Winter. Yew-Poh Mak in turn takes over from Sri Lankan Harsha Basnayake following his elevation to global business administration & risk leader under new chair and CEO Janet Truncale.

“We are thrilled to welcome Shannon to the Asia Pacific leadership team,” Winter stated. “With more than 25 years of experience in leading and advising clients on infrastructure, franchising and service contracting projects, Cotter will be instrumental in continuing to build the capabilities of strategy & transactions in Asia-Pacific and foster greater collaboration across the various practices.”

A two-decade company veteran out of Melbourne, Catherine Friday meanwhile takes over as both global and Asia Pacific government & infrastructure leader, having also led the firm’s global education practice for the past three years. Friday spent earlier time at Andersen, IBM and Marsh prior to joining EY in 2003, and previously led EY’s Oceania governance, risk & compliance practice.

“Government is crucial to the lives of us all, from keeping people and communities safe to creating the conditions for economies to grow sustainably,” Friday said. “In these new roles, I’m looking forward to working with more of our talented and tireless EY teams across the world to help governments improve outcomes for the people and communities they serve.”