We are delighted to announce the appointment of Shane Robb to the role of IT Director, following a comprehensive and competitive nationwide recruitment process.

Effective today, Shane takes over from Valerie Fogg, who steps down from the role after an incredible 28 years of dedicated service. Valerie will stay on as a consultant until the end of June 2025, to support Shane’s transition into the role.

Shane has been a senior member of our IT team for a number of years, and says: “I’m really looking forward to rolling my sleeves up and getting started in the new role, as it’s such an interesting time to be a leader in the IT space.

“There are so many opportunities and challenges for the legal industry around AI, data security, privacy and tech modernisation, and it’s a really exciting time for us at Simpson Grierson to be leading the way for our clients and our teams.

“The world of IT is forever changing, and because it’s constantly evolving, it feels like a new job every single day. I’ll be hitting the ground running and have an incredible team of highly engaged, IT and research experts spread across Tāmaki Makaurau, Te Whanganui-a-Tara, and Ōtautahi,” says Shane.

Simpson Grierson Partner and Board Chair, Pip Muir says: “We engaged an external executive search firm to test the market and ensure we found the best possible candidate to fill Valerie’s shoes in this key leadership role. 

“Valerie has made a longstanding contribution to our firm - from rolling out our first PCs in the ‘90’s to the unprecedented change that the tech ecosystem has undergone during the covid years and beyond - we thank Val greatly for her enormous contribution over that time.”

In welcoming Shane to his new role with the firm, Pip says: “Shane impressed us with his deep IT sector knowledge, clear vision, strategic thinking, and strong leadership qualities, and we’re confident that he will bring fresh perspective and continued momentum to our technology strategy.”

Based in Ōtautahi, Shane, who started with Simpson Grierson in 2002, will now lead a team of 20 IT and research services experts across the motu.