Introducing Joanne McCrae - Family Wealth Peer Group

Joanne is a trustee, director, and facilitator of large family enterprises, with a strong passion for helping families thrive with wealth.

 

Background

Joanne was a Partner at Deloitte for more than 25 years, including the last decade leading the Family Enterprise Consulting practice in New Zealand. During this time, she worked closely with families of significant wealth, supporting both their businesses and their succession and governance structures.

Philanthropy has also played an important role in Joanne’s career and community involvement. Her past roles include Vice Chair of Breast Cancer Foundation NZ, Chair of Lifeline Aotearoa, and Board Member of Global Women, reflecting her commitment to supporting organisations that strengthen families and communities.

Chairing Style

Joanne’s chairing style focuses on meaningful, relevant topics that encourage active participation from all Members. She values shared learning through both listening and open discussion, drawing out diverse perspectives to create rich and constructive conversations. While every family is unique, she believes many themes are universal and aims to create an environment where Members can learn from each other in a confidential and collaborative setting.

Areas of Interest

Joanne is particularly focused on helping families establish the right structures and processes to support long-term succession. She recognises that every family is different; however, strong communication and values-based frameworks consistently provide a solid foundation for families to thrive across generations.

With her background as a tax partner, Joanne brings a practical understanding of how tax considerations shape family and governance structures—sometimes in ways that do not fully align with a family’s long-term goals. She is passionate about facilitating thoughtful conversations that help families define what success looks like for them and design structures that support those outcomes.

Outside of her professional life, Joanne enjoys spending time in her extensive garden, as well as exploring food, wine, and travel. Her world also revolves around her grandchildren, friends, and family, and she remains determined to keep improving her golf game.