They are:

• Kylie Cronin – Business Advisory Services (Taranaki)
• Daniel Merckle – Tax Services (Auckland)
• Hayden McGregor – Business Advisory Services (Auckland)
• Nick Li – Corporate Advisory Services (Auckland)
• Reina Banno – Audit and Assurance Services partner (Auckland)

“Daniel, Hayden, Kylie, Nick and Reina have broad skillsets and they embody the good values practiced across our network,” says Baker Tilly Staples Rodway national chairperson David Searle. “It was an easy choice to bring them into our senior-most teams and they will further supplement the depth and quality of our leadership. Our future is in good hands.”

We’ll post more about the quintet over the coming week.

Baker Tilly Staples Rodway Taranaki managing director Daimon Stewart says the appointments are a timely reminder to all businesses of the importance of developing senior leaders.

New Zealand businesses have an ageing population of owners who will ultimately want to retire or free themselves up for other projects. “For a lot of people, the value they’ve built up in their business is their retirement golden egg. They need to focus on succession and people coming through so that someone can take over from them, look after their clients and hopefully see them off into retirement. It’s vitally important for everyone and we're no different.”

Promotion of the right people can provide an injection of enthusiasm, driving continuation of businesses’ vitality and longevity. There are also benefits if they are comfortable with the rapidly changing advances in technology.

“Sometimes you just need fresh ideas, another pair of eyes or a younger perspective,” says Daimon. “Everyone who comes to the partner table brings different skillsets and ways of thinking and doing things. We’ve long recognised that (thankfully) we're not a clone of one another. I think it makes for a well-rounded business when you have a diverse group of leaders – and we are a collaborative network with people who get on well.”

He says Baker Tilly Staples Rodway can be proud of the calibre of team members it has mentored, nurtured and upskilled through to senior leadership. Daimon also enjoys observing the energy and passion that new directors bring to their roles. The experiences generated by their new responsibilities creates an exciting new journey of learning.

One of the best things about being a director is the feeling of seeing your team members progress and tick off their own goals, he says. “Having a hand in people's professional and personal development is a massive reward.”