SHIRLEY LONG

Shirley Long is a highly experienced senior finance and people leader, currently serving as the Chief Financial Officer at BestStart. With a robust background in public sector finance and local government, they have managed end-to-end financial oversight for investments of $1.5 billion annually and asset portfolios totaling $26 billion. Shirley has held various key positions, including National Finance Manager for the Ministry of Education of New Zealand and Financial Controller at KiwiRail, demonstrating a proven ability to lead financial transformations and strategic planning. They are also pursuing a Bachelor of Commerce in Accountancy from the University of Canterbury and are a Chartered Accountant with Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand.