Naomi Ferguson


Naomi Ferguson is the Commissioner and Chief Executive of the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department.

Early life

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.

Career

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. She has also held the position of Regional Director for Inland Revenue in Northern Ireland.
In 2003, Ferguson was seconded to the New Zealand Inland Revenue Department as Deputy Commissioner for a period of 3 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. She is the first woman to hold these positions.

Recognition

In 2016 she won the New Zealand Women of Influence Award in Public Policy.