Inland Revenue Commissioner Naomi Ferguson in tax department's head office in Wellington. Photo/Mark Mitchell
Naomi Ferguson was once responsible for 18,000 staff in her role as head of compliance at Britain's tax department.
Now she heads New Zealand's Inland Revenue Department, as commissioner and chief executive.
But the former Brit is dismissive of her ascent to such heights of power and merely says she is happy to serve.
"I am really proud to say I serve the people of New Zealand."
Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland ,Ferguson studied English literature at Glasgow University in Scotland.
Like many graduates, Ferguson says she didn't know what to do after finishing university.
At 22 she joined the UK graduate programme for the tax department - Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs - thinking: "Oh well, I will do this for a few years."
By 25, she says, it had "got under her skin" and Ferguson was hooked on a career as a public servant.
She worked for a short time at Barclays bank but returned to the tax department.
"It was a great job and I loved it. But I realised the public service had a huge role to play for the country."
In 2003 Ferguson took up the chance of a three-year secondment to the New Zealand tax department as deputy commissioner, service delivery, and says she couldn't believe her luck when she had the chance to apply for the top job a few years later.
"I applied for the job thinking this is too good to be true."
She was appointed New Zealand IRD chief executive in 2012.
Looking back at her career, she says some of the biggest challenges as a woman were having bosses who had certain views on where a woman should work and how long she needed to be in certain positions.
"There weren't many so they do stand out," she says.
"Overall I've been very blessed to have some very supportive bosses."
She believes women need to be careful when it comes to selecting who they work for.
"That person can be really helpful or harmful."
Going for a new role is a two-way process, says Ferguson, and women should do their due diligence before accepting it.
"That's something I have learned over the years. You have a right to that conversation not simply to accept - it is not just the employer that holds the cards.
"That job has to work for you as part of your whole life."
Ferguson says there has been a lot of research about why women find it hard to get to the top, but the public service is a lot better than the corporate sector.
A 2014 review by the Human Rights Commission, looking at equal employment opportunity outcomes, found 41 per cent of senior managers in the public service were women and overall the workforce was 60 per cent female.
That compares to a report by Global Women NZ, which found that women made up only 17 per cent of directors, and occupied only 19 per cent of senior management positions in New Zealand last year.
Ferguson says a CEO's role is a tough one and it requires having a lot support around you.
She doesn't have children, but says for those who do, family support is vital.
She suggests women should take advantage of technology to help break through the barriers to work. And it is also about breaking the stereotype that it is the woman's place to stay at home.
"I know many men that do that."
Ferguson says one of the things that boards and senior leaders can do is think deliberately when they set out to hire someone.
Diversity of thought and experience is vital, she says, and having a diverse team allows her to make better decisions.
One of the things that has changed in the public sector is greater collaboration between CEOs and their teams, which could be one of the things that attracts more women to the sector.
"There is lots of research which shows women prefer collaborative environments."
She says she sometimes gets a look of surprise when she consults with her team - and then more often than not, she gets a comment on how well the department is doing.
And despite many people professing to hate paying tax, Ferguson says she usually receives a warm welcome when she tells people she is the head of the tax department.
"When you are out in a cafe in some far-flung part of New Zealand and you tell them what you do, they usually have positive things to say.
"Most people in New Zealand know that to keep it a great place, they have to pay taxes."
Naomi Ferguson
• Commissioner and chief executive of Inland Revenue since July 2012
• Born in Belfast, Northern Ireland
• Was deputy commissioner from 2003 to 2006, on secondment from Her Majesty's Revenue and Customs (HMRC) - the UK tax department
• Was director, business customer and strategy at HMRC 2006-12 and previously led the compliance department
• Also worked for Inland Revenue in Northern Ireland and the UK banking industry
• Has a Master's degree in English literature and sociology from Glasgow University
• Married
They have doubled the team chasing Kiwis overseas who are behind in loan payments.