Chief Executive and Director of Serious Fraud Office Appointed

Chief Executive and Director of Serious Fraud Office Appointed

State Services Commissioner and Head of State Services Iain Rennie has today announced the appointment of Julie Read as Chief Executive and Director of the Serious Fraud Office.

Ms Read has over 20 years experience as a litigator, including 10 years with the Australian Securities and Investment Commission (ASIC) holding several senior executive roles. She is currently the Special Counsel (Litigation) in ASIC's Chief Legal Office - a position she has held since 2010.

"Ms Read is a senior public servant with significant experience at executive level managing work very similar to that of the Serious Fraud Office," Mr Rennie said.

"She has a track record of building and maintaining effective relationships with stakeholders and colleague agencies, while discharging her statutory role in complex and challenging investigations and prosecutions," he said.

The Serious Fraud Office is a specialised government department based in Auckland with around 50 staff. It is responsible for detecting, investigating and prosecuting serious and complex financial crime, bribery and corruption.

"New Zealanders and people investing in New Zealand need to be assured that fraud and corruption will not be tolerated," Mr Rennie said.

"Ms Read will lead the Serious Fraud Office to actively monitor, investigate and prosecute so that serious fraud and corruption does not go undetected or unpunished," he said.

Ms Read has been appointed for a term of three years and will take up her role on 21 October 2013. Ms Read is Australian and is currently based in Hobart; she will be moving to New Zealand to take up her new role.

Simon McArley is currently Acting Chief Executive of the Serious Fraud Office.

ENDS

For further information

Media enquiries: Tim Ingleton, SSC Communications 021 240 7810

Note to editors

Biography of Julie Read

Julie Read was appointed to her current role of Special Counsel (Litigation), Chief Legal Office within ASIC in 2010. In this role, Ms Read is a senior executive responsible for the conduct of ASIC litigation. She is also the Minister's delegate responsible for the approval of requests for assistance from foreign regulators.

Ms Read is also the Regional Commissioner of ASIC for Tasmania, a role she has held since 2002.

From 2008 to 2010, Ms Read was Senior Executive Leader, Major Fraud and International, ASIC. In this role she was responsible for the investigation and litigation of major matters and the provision of advice to the ASIC Commission on various cross-agency bodies.

Ms Read was also ASIC's representative on the International Organisation of Securities Commissions committee responsible for cross-border securities law enforcement matters for six years from May 2006.

Ms Read was previously a Director of Enforcement and an Acting General Counsel, ASIC from 2002 to 2008, roles which related to ASIC investigations and litigation.

From 1992 to 2002 Ms Read was the Assistant Director of Public Prosecutions, managing the Office of the Commonwealth Director of Public Prosecutions in Tasmania.

Ms Read is currently a member of the Winston Churchill Fellowship Committee, Tasmania, a Board member of TasDeaf, and a member of the Australian Institute of Company Directors.