- Company: KPMG AG
- Position: Member of Executive Management
- Remit/main activity: Head of Audit
- Highest educational qualification: state-certifed auditor, lic. oec. HSG
- Place of work: Zurich
- No. of employees at place of work: Approx. 1'500
What makes my work exciting?
It fascinates me – even after many years as an auditor – to keep gaining new, exciting insights into our clients’ business models.
Variety, thanks to contact with a wide range of different clients, particularly their decision-makers;
if I can share my experience with clients and feel that they value their dialogue with us, it is always extremely enriching;
I always work in a team with highly motivated – and now often significantly younger – employees from diverse professional disciplines.
Why did I enter the profession?
After finishing my studies, I was intrigued by the opportunity offered by the audit profession of accessing the exciting financial world, as well as being intellectually challenged and supported, gaining an insight into a wide range of companies and being seconded abroad at the start of my career.
What challenges does my work present?
My team and I are constantly required to meet – and where possible exceed – the demands of our clients, the public and regulators through new ideas, new technologies and, most importantly, the best employees. In addition to working with clients, I have management responsibility for audit, our biggest business area.
How does my work benefit the economy?
We create trust in financial figures and decision-making bases, which is a particularly important requirement for a functioning capital market. In Switzerland, our profession can be proud of our consistent contribution to the huge improvement in the quality of financial reporting.
What is important to me in my client relationships?
As auditors, we are in the privileged position of having contact with the board of directors and the management. In addition, my clients value my autonomous, independent perspective. The most valuable relationships are those where we can also discuss issues unrelated to our core agenda and I can contribute fully as a person.
What is currently important for my clients in our cooperation (keyword: coronavirus)?
Priorities always change during a crisis. With our experience of other clients, our own assessments and our proposed solutions, we are an important sparring partner even in difficult times. Our contribution is particularly highly valued when our clients are under the most pressure.
How has the industry changed? What are the challenges of the future?
Digitalisation is changing auditing as well as our clients’ business models and processes. This is constantly opening up new opportunities to support our clients through change processes. This requires curious, motivated employees with varied technical expertise and experience. Auditors’ tasks and responsibilities will develop further. I am convinced that auditors’ independence will always be a key pillar for creating trust.