Another PwC Australia deals partner to leave the firm
The Pipeline features developing news from around the sector.
Senior PwC Australia partner Sanjiv Jeraj is retiring from the big four firm and will finish up at the end of this month.
The Melbourne-based Jeraj, who has spent almost two decades at the firm, is in the deals business and specialises in advising private company operators on how to expand and develop their businesses.
Outgoing PwC partner Sanjiv Jeraj has spent almost two decades at the firm. Lucas Jarvis
Jeraj worked closely with PwC dealmaker Rob Silverwood, another senior partner who is also leaving the firm, on the deal to sell PwC’s public sector consulting arm to private equity investor Allegro Funds for $1 during the depths of the firm’s tax leaks scandal in mid-2023.
Silverwood is now expected to retire from the firm before the end of June as originally flagged. There is speculation that the men may once again work together although nothing has been finalised at this stage.
Jeraj’s move comes as Nick P’ng, one of two new PwC Australia partners who joined in January, ramps up his work on a new team-up between the firm and Microsoft, where he previously worked.
The collaboration involves PwC deploying artificial intelligence agents embedded in Microsoft’s Copilot system – which can autonomously complete tasks – on to client systems.
“We’re seeing increased demand to digitise business processes from clients across all industries, as organisations seek to reinvent in order to enhance productivity and remain competitive,” P’ng said.
Nous hires ex-Deloitte partner
Consulting firm Nous has appointed Michael Rath as a senior adviser in its energy and decarbonisation team.
Rath previously spent more than 26 years at Deloitte, including more than 20 years as a partner. His most recent role at the big four firm was Asia Pacific lead partner in power, utilities and renewables.
Nous’ energy and decarbonisation team is made up of 10 principals and directors, and advises clients on issues such as growth opportunities in the sector, capacity building and energy policy.
Rath said Nous had a “great track record working with gen-tailers, transmission and distribution businesses” on “some of biggest challenges in energy policy and regulation”.
New directors at Vincents
Mid-tier accounting firm Vincents has appointed eight equity directors, increasing the total number of partners at the firm to 51.
The firm’s new partners are Alex Smith and Sam Heaney (business advisory); Ashley Leslie and Henry McKenna (restructuring and recovery); Jarred Brooks and Kenneth Beanland (financial advisory); Phil Ringuet (lending solutions) and Mailene Wheeler (superannuation advisory).
Annual revenue at Vincents was up 13 per cent to $53 million in 2023-24, according to the most recent edition of The Australian Financial Review Top 100 Accounting Firms.
HKA expands Australian partnership
Advisory firm HKA has added Sally Davitt to its ranks, bringing its local partnership to nine.
Davitt, a forensic accountant and expert witness, has worked at KordaMentha for the past 15 years. HKA, which has about 120 staff in Australia, provides dispute resolution and risk mitigation advice as well as expert witnesses and litigation support services.
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