Global accountancy group PwC has appointed a new regional leader for the West and Wales. John-Paul (JP) Barker, who has led PwC UK’s strategy & consulting practice, replaces Katharine Finn, who has been in the role for four years.
JP, pictured with Katharine, was also a member of the global strategy & leadership team and the UK consulting executive team. 
He joined PwC in 1995 and spent three years completing internal and external audit and advisory work in the Cardiff office before joining the management consulting practice in London.
In 2003 he moved to the firm’s office in Melbourne, Australia, before returning to consulting in London in 2005 to focus on helping clients with technology-enabled transformation. He then led the UK retail and consumer consulting practice from 2013 to 2016.
PwC’s West and Wales region extends from South Wales to Cornwall with offices in Bristol and Cardiff. The firm employs around 775 people across the two offices.
JP describes himself as “a proud Welshman” with a passion for the region where he grew up and has lived most of his life.
“I was born and raised in South Wales, went to the University of Exeter, and started my career in Cardiff. Apart from the time I spent working in Australia, this region has always been my home,” he said.
“I’m passionate about building a strong economy that provides local people with the opportunity to prosper. This is a dynamic place with lots of opportunity for growth, as outlined recently with the launch of proposals for creating a ‘powerhouse’ for the region.
“As a result of the investments we’ve made over the last few years we are well placed to play a leading role in helping the region realise its potential.”
Katharine Finn, who has worked at PwC for 29 years in Bristol, London, Auckland and Nottingham, remains at the firm as an audit partner. As regional leader she sat on the board of the West of England Local Enterprise Partnership (LEP) and the CBI Council for Wales.
She said: “It’s been an absolute privilege to lead the West and Wales region for the last four years – a period where we have grown our revenues to nearly £90m and seen significant investments in exciting growth areas such as cyber and digital.
“The opportunity to represent PwC [on the CBI and LEP boards] has been hugely rewarding on a personal level, and they have been great platforms to make sure that we are bringing the PwC purpose to life in the region.
“I’m delighted to hand the baton on to JP, who I know will be a great ambassador for the firm and the region.”
