Leon Taljaard 

Leon is a seasoned audit partner, having been the engagement partner on significant clients at Deloitte. Leon has over 30 years’ experience in the profession, including 24 years as a partner. His CV reflects the leadership clients he has serviced as an audit partner. Leon is particularly experienced in the natural resources sector and has REIT experience, which should also benefit the firm.

BDO in South Africa is under scrutiny from IRBA and the Project SiyaKhula exercise is aimed at realising a radical improvement in the firm’s audit quality. The project needs a strong lead and we stand a greater chance of success by appointing a senior person with project management experience who can deal decisively with quality matters in the profession. As a seasoned audit partner, Leon has been involved in quality improvement projects while leading the Deloitte Pretoria Office. We believe he will bring a substantial level of skill and experience to the Audit COO position, reflecting the improvement the firm is seeking to achieve in this area.