New Zealand: Smith appointed acting CFO at Summerset

Summerset has appointed Tania Smith as acting chief financial officer. The former group head of finance, she started at the end of March.

“Tania is our head of finance and has a strong skillset and extensive business experience. We are pleased to appoint Tania to this role while our search for a permanent replacement concludes,” said new chief executive Scott Scoular.

This should bring the past few months of uncertainty at the top of New Zealand’s second-largest listed retirement village operator to a close.

She replaces the existing chief financial officer and deputy CEO Scoullar who has himself just become chief executive.

Julian Cook announced his retirement after more than 10 years in the top job in November last year.

Scoullar started with Summerset in 2014, replacing Cook as chief financial officer, following senior roles at Housing New Zealand and Inland Revenue. He was promoted to deputy chief executive at the start of 2018.