SFO boss spends up large on course
The director of the Serious Fraud Office has spent $40,000 attending a leadership training course in Australia which critics say could have been delivered here for a fraction of the cost.
Julie Read was appointed director of the SFO in October 2013 and was previously Tasmania regional director of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission. This is her first chief executive’s position.
According to her expenses report, she has been attending Willow Executive Learning Group meetings at hotels in Australia every few months.
Read says she has gained ‘‘significant learnings’’. But her critics point out that the number of investigations and prosecutions undertaken by the agency has dropped considerably since she took over.
According to Read’s expenses for the past three financial years, her membership of Willow has cost the SFO $31,567. On top of that, her travel, accommodation, food and transport while attending Willow meetings in Brisbane, Sydney and Melbourne has come to $8333. Her total travel bill over the three years was $134,075.
Nick Sceats, a director of Wellington-based leadership development company Catapult, said its three-day residential courses cost $5400, including accommodation, food and transport.
‘‘The feedback we’ve had from people who’ve been on programmes in Australia and been on ours is that ours is better – it’s cheaper, it’s more practical and it’s based in the New Zealand context.’’
The Jeff Whalan Learning Group, which runs the Willow courses, said in a statement that it provided high quality, peer learning environments for senior public sector executives.
An SFO spokesperson said it was important Read was given the opportunity to develop her leadership abilities.
Willow was chosen over a local course as it offered her a chance to ‘‘engage with her peers in different jurisdictions’’ and foster key relationships with foreign organisations. Read had attended five courses in total and her membership had now concluded.
MASTERTON WELLINGTON