Katie Rusbatch started in the role last week
The New Zealand Law Society | Te Kāhui Ture o Aotearoa has named professional standards (regulatory) general manager Katie Rusbatch as interim CEO following the departure of Joanna Simon.
Simon tendered her resignation last month, and finished her term at the end of August. Law Society Vice-President David Campbell praised Rusbatch as a worthy successor.
“Katie brings both the skill set and ability to perform the role. She is highly regarded within the organisation and the profession, and her impressive resume speaks for itself in terms of her experience to manage the organisation in this interim period,” he said.
Rusbatch started with the Law Society in January 2021, and was responsible for managing regulatory work such as the Lawyers Complaints Service, registry and inspectorate. Previously, she served as the Commerce Commission’s competition head, helming the teams on cartel, merger and abuse of market power investigation.
She has worked in the UK and Singapore, and is admitted as a solicitor in England and Wales. Her academic credentials include an LLB(Hons), BA in Economics and Political Science and postgraduate certificate in Antarctic Studies from the University of Canterbury, a post graduate diploma in European Competition Law and an MA in European Competition Law from King’s College London.
Rusbatch kicked off her run as interim CEO on 1 September.
“This is an important time for the Law Society, and it is a privilege to take on this interim role. The work the Law Society is progressing across the organisation is critical to maintaining the trust and confidence of the profession and the wider public,” she said.
Campbell confirmed that Rusbatch will remain in the post until a permanent CEO can be appointed.
