Head of PwC's East African network retires after 40 years of service

The leader of PwC ‘s East African wing has retired, after a 40 year spell at the firm. Anne Erikson, who steps down as Senior Regional Partner, was the first African woman to lead the firm in the East of the continent.

Anne Eriksson headed PwC’s operations in six African countries over the past six years. As well as being the Senior Partner for the region, leading PwC’s network of firms in Uganda, Tanzania, Rwanda, Zambia, Mauritius and Kenya, Eriksson was also the national Senior Partner for PwC Kenya, overseeing 1,500 employees, including 49 partners.

Over the course of her four decades at PwC,Eriksson also picked up various accolades and qualifications, including a NMBA (Distinction) Field Of StudyMasters in Business Admin from the University of Warwick in 1999, and has held various leadership roles during her lengthy career. However, she also faced her share of difficulty in the position, including a period of pressure following the Haco accounting scandal.

In 2015 the Institute of Certified Public Accountants of Kenya (ICPAK) said it was pursuing PwC over an alleged Sh879.1 million accounting fraud, involving the Nairobi-based manufacturing firm Haco Tiger Brands. ICPAK said then the investigations were to find out whether PwC’s opinion on Haco’s finances was in step “with professional standards.” The Haco accounting scandal came less than 10 years after the firm found itself in a tight spot over the 2006 collapse of Uchumi Supermarkets.

Now, as the firm seeks to continue to expand in the region, PwC has made an internal appointment to replace Eriksson. Peter Ngahu, the regional and Kenya leader of PwC’s Assurance line of service as well as a member of PwC’s regional leadership team, has been with PwC for 25 years, spending 14 of them as a partner in audit and assurance services.

Hein Boegman, Territory Senior Partner, PwC Africa, said of Eriksson’s departure, “I am confident that Anne is leaving a firm and a network that is stronger for her leadership, and that Peter will contribute to and guide our success in Africa through his own unique contributions.”

Alongside a rapid expansion of the digital landscape on the continent, experts predict that the economy in the region will skyrocket in the near future. As a result, international companies are looking to devise nuanced strategies to capitalise on this growth, for which they will increasingly turn to consulting firms. As part of the efforts to prepare for the imminent expansion, PwC also recently appointed a new Senior Partner for the oil-rich region of Francophone Sub-Saharan Africa in the form of Nadine Tinen, who has over two decades of experience in the field of consulting at the firm.