Naomi Patricia Ferguson QSO is a British and New Zealand public servant. She served as the commissioner and chief executive of the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department from 2012 to 2022.[1]

Ferguson in 2023

Early life edit

Ferguson was born in Belfast, Northern Ireland, and studied at the University of Glasgow, graduating with a Master of Arts in English Literature and Sociology.[1][2]

Career edit

On graduating, Ferguson joined Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs as a trainee tax inspector, followed by a short period working at Barclays Bank as the Human Resources, Restructuring and Development Director, and then returned to HMRC.[2][3] She has also held the position of Regional Director for Inland Revenue in Northern Ireland.[4]

In 2003, Ferguson was seconded to the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department as deputy commissioner for a period of three years. From 2006 to 2012 she was director, business customer and strategy for HMRC. In July 2012 she was appointed commissioner and chief executive of the New Zealand IRD,[2] becoming the first woman to hold these positions.[3] She left the roles in June 2022.[5]

Honours and awards edit

In 2016, Ferguson won the New Zealand Women of Influence Award in Public Policy.[1] In the 2022 Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours, she was appointed a Companion of the Queen's Service Order, for services to the public service.[6]

References edit

  1. ^ a b c "Meet our Executive Leadership Team (Who we are)". Inland Revenue. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  2. ^ a b c Parker, Tamsyn (15 October 2016). "Taxwoman happy to serve her adopted home". NZ Herald. ISSN 1170-0777. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  3. ^ a b "Tax detox with Inland Revenue's Naomi Ferguson". ACUITY. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 12 September 2017.
  4. ^ State Services Commission (13 March 2012). "Chief Executive and Commissioner of Inland Revenue, IRD". www.ssc.govt.nz. Archived from the original on 12 September 2017. Retrieved 6 May 2022.
  5. ^ "The Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022 – citations for Companions of the Queen's Service Order". Department of the Prime Minister and Cabinet. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.
  6. ^ "The Queen's Birthday and Platinum Jubilee Honours List 2022". The New Zealand Herald. 6 June 2022. Retrieved 6 June 2022.