Scyne Advisory poaches Google exec John Ball as CEO

The consulting firm’s inaugural chief executive, who also spent decades at Microsoft, will bring a heavy technology focus to his role.

Scyne Advisory chair John Mullen. Picture: Aaron Francis/NCA NewsWire

Government consulting firm Scyne Advisory has poached senior Google executive John Ball to take on the top job after months of hunting.

Staff were told at Scyne on Tuesday morning Mr Ball would be the firm’s inaugural chief executive, landing the outside candidate after a global search by recruitment firm Derwent.

Scyne chair John Mullen said Mr Ball’s hiring fulfilled a key promise made by the firm to the Department of Finance to secure an “independent CEO”.

Mr Mullen said the shortlist of candidates for CEO “contained a number of very high-quality individuals from diverse backgrounds, and we were pleasantly surprised by the depth of talent interested in this role”.

Scyne acting CEO Richard Gwilym will now focus on the leader of the advisory business as managing partner.

This comes after Scyne revealed its Advisory Leadership Team on Friday.

Mr Gwilym represents the advisory business on Scyne’s leadership team

“The Board considered John’s commitment to organisational culture, innovation, creating client excellence and a deep understanding of the power of technology as stand out qualities for the first Scyne independent CEO,” Mr Mullen said.

“To recruit someone of John’s experience and background is a real feather in the cap for Scyne.”

Google managing director John Ball.

Mr Ball joins Scyne after almost 20 years with Microsoft as well as nearly a decade at tech giant Google, heading up the firm’s customer solutions business in Australia and New Zealand.

“I am very excited at the skills and experience that John brings to the role,” Mr Mullen said.

“As Scyne moves into the growth phase and begins the journey of implementing its five-year strategy, John’s depth of knowledge of the technology industry as well as his skills as a leader are a potent mix for the business we have established.”

Mr Ball said he was “incredibly attracted to Scyne’s purpose led vision and the opportunity it presents to do advisory differently for public purpose in Australia”.

Mr Ball starts on November 5.

The career tech exec also holds a role on the National Retail Association Board and is deputy chair of the Cure Cancer board.

This comes after Scyne was spun out of audit and consulting firm PwC Australia in the wake of a damaging tax scandal, after the professional services giant was revealed to have misused confidential government information.

PwC sold Scyne to private equity players Allegro Funds in a $1 deal, soon after the scandal surrounding PwC was revealed.

In response to the scandal, PwC was frozen out of government contracts.

Almost 120 partners from PwC joined Scyne, alongside almost 1000 staff.

However, Scyne has been forced to slash jobs, cutting 90 jobs in July after a slump in new contracts from the public service for the consulting sector.

Scyne only offers services to the government and charity sectors.

Originally published as Scyne Advisory poaches Google exec John Ball as CEO