New CEO for MinterEllison

MinterEllison announced today that Annette Kimmitt, currently the Asia-Pacific Accounts Leader at EY, had been elected to the position of MinterEllison CEO in a vote concluded this week.

Bruce Cowley, Chairman of MinterEllison, said he was delighted the firm had attracted a leader of the calibre of Annette Kimmitt. He noted that Ms Kimmitt is currently one of EY’s top 100 leaders.

“Our firm was seeking a leader with strong strategic skills coupled with extensive client service experience in Australian and international markets," said Mr Cowley. “Annette certainly meets our requirements with an outstanding track record in the professional services sector, working both with clients and in senior leadership roles in Australia, throughout the Asia-Pacific and globally.”

Mr Cowley said that, in addition, Annette is part of an area executive team at EY that has responsibility for 65,000 people in Asia-Pacific and revenues of approximately USD$4.5bn.

“Furthermore, Annette is a strong and consultative leader who values the power of collaborative thinking and decision making,” he said. “She is supportive of MinterEllison’s 2020 strategy, and, having vast international experience in the latest developments in professional services, will bring much richness and depth as we continue to pursue our strategy and start to look beyond 2020.”

In a career spanning three decades in corporate and professional services, Annette Kimmitt has built an impressive track record including holding non-executive board positions and developing extensive management experience. She has worked with many corporations on various complex and commercially sensitive transactions. As a founding developer of International Financial Reporting Standards (IFRS), Annette worked closely with boards, audit committees and senior executives to manage complex technical challenges related to transactions and other growth strategies and was a Senior Project Director at the International Accounting Standards Board.

In addition, Annette currently holds board positions including the Melbourne Business School, and Scale Investors. She was previously the Victorian Chairman of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia.

“Together with the Partners and staff of MinterEllison, I am very much looking forward to welcoming Ms Kimmitt to the firm upon her commencement and to working with her on the next phase of the firm’s growth,” said Mr Cowley.

In speaking about her new appointment, Annette Kimmitt said she was proud to have served EY for more than a decade in both client facing and leadership roles.

“I feel I have made a significant and positive leadership contribution at EY. It has been a great firm to be part of. For the future, I am looking forward to being able to utilise my skills and expertise as MinterEllison’s new CEO and to joining a professional services firm of the highest calibre in the legal and consulting sector,” she said.

Patrick Winter, EY’s Asia-Pacific Managing Partner said, “Annette leaves EY with an outstanding leadership track record and a strong legacy of supporting innovation and entrepreneurship. We’re always proud of our people who go on and build their careers with other businesses, government and the broader community. We are confident that Annette will do exactly that with MinterEllison. We sincerely wish her all the best with this next exciting chapter for her career.”