Nick Prentice, COO for EMEIA Tax at EY, launches ETC
Ernst & Young is leveraging the power of its EMEIA (Europe, Middle East, India and Africa) integrated business model – which combines 90 countries aligned around a central Area leadership – to build the EMEIA Tax Center (ETC).
Recognizing the importance of the EMEIA region to the world markets, the EMEIA Tax Center is a part of Ernst & Young’s global investment initiative, where more than US$1.2 billion has been ultimately invested, much of which has been earmarked to develop Ernst & Young’s presence and service offerings in emerging markets.
As part of Ernst & Young’s globalization strategy, our Tax business has made an unwavering commitment to deliver relevant services to our clients in a consistent and seamless manner, no matter where they are located. In the past two years alone, Ernst & Young has demonstrated that strong commitment by making significant financial and resource investments in the creation of its strategic Tax Centers. In addition to the EMEIA Tax Center, the Asia Pacific Tax Center was recently launched in Singapore. The well-established Washington, DC-based National Tax Department and Global Tax Desks network have both been serving clients seamlessly across borders for more than three decades.
“We are very excited about the launch of the EMEIA Tax Center. The EMEIA region is an important and influential market that includes both mature and developing economies that are key to Ernst & Young’s business. The EMEIA Tax Center, along with our other Centers, helps us deliver on our commitment to providing globally integrated client service and reflects the way our clients do business, seamlessly across borders.” said Mark Weinberger, Ernst & Young’s Global Vice Chair — Tax. “The EMEIA Tax Center enables us to deliver local country technical knowledge with Area-wide business and industry knowledge to our clients on a real-time basis. We have organized the EMEIA Tax Center around those focus areas where our clients tell us they most need centralized and coordinated service.”
The ETC operates as a virtual hub of more than 200 highly specialized tax professionals from across Europe, Middle East, India and Africa. It has grown four-fold in the past year and is expected to increase significantly in size over the coming years. The Center is organized around ten focus areas: Assignment Services, Global Compliance and Reporting, Global Strategic International Trade Team, Global Tax Desks, Immigration Services, International Social Security, Tax Effective Supply Chain Management, Tax Performance Advisory, Tax Policy & Controversy, and VAT.
“The EMEIA Tax Center’s purpose is to support our tax teams in connecting and responding promptly to our client’s pressing issues and needs,” said EMEIA Tax Leader Stephan Kuhn. “The hub houses some of our best tax professionals with deep knowledge of many areas that are not yet available in all of our countries. The ETC also serves as a central point of contact with our other service hubs around the world.”
“In a traditional professional services model, subject matter professionals stay within their national borders, primarily serving local clients,” said Kuhn. “The EMEIA Tax Center enables us to serve our clients freely throughout the EMEIA region.”
The ETC is under the responsibility of Nick Prentice, EMEIA Tax Chief Operating Officer based in London. The focus areas are led by senior tax professionals with deep experience and market visibility in their respective field: Barry Page (Assignment Services); Sarah Clifford (Global Compliance and Reporting); Neil Byrne (Global Strategic International Trade Team); Stephen O’Neil (Global Tax Desks); Pauline Mathewson (Immigration Services); Mike Kenyon (International Social Security); Victor Bartels (Tax Effective Supply Chain Management); Albert Lee (Tax Performance Advisory); Chris Sanger and Monique van Herksen (Tax Policy & Controversy); and Robin Maxwell (VAT). Please see Appendix for more information.
Prentice comments, “Our clients tell us that our ability to come together as a single, integrated organization across EMEIA is a key differentiator for us in the marketplace. Our seamless approach means we are able to be more client-centric, providing our valued clients with a single point of contact for tax and other services. With the EMEIA Tax Center, we are extending the success we have had with taking a coordinated approach to serving clients and ensuring that we continue to be connected, responsive and insightful to provide unmatched client service wherever our clients are based.”