Kate Le Quesne has been appointed to the new role of Assistant Governor Enterprise Services. Her appointment completes the new RBNZ Executive Leadership Team announced on 7 May 2025.
Ms Le Quesne is currently RBNZ’s Director Financial Markets. In her new role, she will be responsible for the enterprise-wide services and functions of Te Pūtea Matua, which support the delivery of the central bank’s mandate. She will lead the Strategy Enablement, Stakeholder Engagement, Risk, Compliance, and Audit, Governance, and Special Projects functions.
“We’re very pleased to appoint Kate as our new Assistant Governor Enterprise Services. She brings a range of perspectives to the new role, considering her wealth of senior leadership experience gained at RBNZ and New Zealand Treasury. Kate also has vast experience working in institutional banking in Australia, London, and New Zealand,” says Governor Christian Hawkesby.
Ms Le Quesne will officially start in her new role on 16 June 2025. Vanessa Rayner will be filling in as Director Financial Markets while RBNZ recruits for a permanent replacement to the role.
Following the confirmation of the new ELT structure, Sarah Owen, former Assistant Governor and General Manager of Risk, Compliance, and Legal Services departed RBNZ on 23 May 2025.
Changes to the Leadership Team
RBNZ is also reshaping its Leadership Team (LT) structure, in support of the newly consolidated ELT.
The new LT structure, which takes effect from Monday, 16 June 2025, is made up of 20 director roles under four Groups: Financial Stability, Money, Enterprise Services, and Operations.
Confirmed Leadership team structure
The leadership team roles that will sit within each group are confirmed below.
| Financial Stability | Money | Enterprise Services | Operations |
|---|---|---|---|
| Director Prudential Policy | Director Financial Markets | Director Strategy Enablement | Director People & Culture / Chief People Officer |
| Director Enforcement & Resolution | Director Economics / Chief Economist | Director Stakeholder Engagement | Director Technology / Chief Technology Officer |
| Director Financial System Assessment | Director Money & Cash | Director Risk, Compliance & Audit | Director Security / Chief Information Security Officer |
| Director Specialist Supervision | Director Payment Services | Director Governance / General Counsel | Director Finance and Operations / Chief Financial Officer |
| Director Prudential Supervision | Programme Director Money Group | Programme Director Enterprise | Director Data & Information / Chief Data Officer |
The Director roles which make up the LT are designed with balanced portfolios and appropriate spans of control, to make RBNZ more efficient, more focussed, and more agile.
“This is a critical time for Te Pūtea Matua, and the changes we’re making are more than just structural. We want to ensure that we’re match-fit for the changing environment and context we’re operating in,” says Governor Hawkesby about the new structure design.
The RBNZ will consult with staff about potential organisation changes more broadly in late June.
More information
Media contact
Olivia Neill
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