Rising star appointed to the Treasury's leadership team

The Treasury has appointed Fiona Ross to its executive leadership team as Deputy Secretary, Budget & Public Services. Fiona was named a "rising star" of the public sector in Trans Tasman’s 2013 briefing report on government departments.

An accomplished public servant, Fiona will be responsible for leading the Treasury's work to manage government finances, the performance of the public sector as a whole, and advice in the areas of justice and security, health, and earthquake coordination.

"Fiona is a passionate leader with a great track record in the public service in New Zealand and abroad. Her talents have been recognised beyond the Treasury and we’re excited to have Fiona join our executive team," said Gabriel Makhlouf, Chief Executive and Secretary to the Treasury.

Fiona has over 20 years' experience in the public service, and is well versed in state sector reform. After initial positions at the Ministry of Education and the Ministry of Women's Affairs, Fiona joined the Treasury as a senior policy analyst in 2000. In 2002 she moved to the United Kingdom where she held various roles in the Civil Service, including leading major change initiatives focused on efficiency gains and service improvements.

In November 2011 Fiona returned to the Treasury to lead the Better Public Services Programme, the government's flagship programme to improve outcomes for New Zealanders in 10 priority areas. Most recently she has been the Manager of the Treasury’s International and Financial Markets teams.

Fiona holds Master's and Bachelor's degrees in Public Policy from Victoria University and has held a number of not-for-profit sector trustee positions.