David Holtze to lead Ernst & Young’s 29,000 tax professionals

Ernst & Young has announced the appointment of David Holtze as its new Global Vice Chair for Tax, leading 29,000 Ernst & Young tax professionals worldwide. In addition, he will become a member of Ernst & Young’s Global Executive, the organization’s highest management body, with both appointments taking effect immediately.

David has spent the past three decades at Ernst & Young. Since 2008, he has been the Global Chief Operating Officer for Tax, responsible for monitoring the operations and financial results of the US$6 billion Global Tax practice. He has played an integral role in guiding the practice through the economic challenges of the past few years.

Commenting on the tax environment, David says, “Our clients are facing unprecedented change and the most challenging tax environment we have seen in decades. The technical knowledge and collective insights of our Global Tax network – which spans more than 140 countries worldwide – means we are able to strategically help our clients address the growing demands on the tax function and assist them in driving growth, even in tough markets.”

Jim Turley, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Ernst & Young says, “I am pleased to welcome David to his new leadership role. He has been a driving force behind the strong market position and solid reputation the Tax practice enjoys today. We look forward to him using his deep knowledge of our business to help us attain new levels of success.”

Before moving to London to become Chief Operating Officer of the Global Tax practice, David spent nine years in New York, where he was first Chief Financial Officer and then Chief Operating Officer of the Americas’ Tax practice. From 1993 to 1999, he was the Midwest Sub-Area Tax Leader, based in Minneapolis. He also served as the financial services leader for Tax and as a Tax account leader on a number of large clients.

David joined Ernst & Young in Minneapolis in 1981 after receiving a BS in Accounting from the University of Minnesota and an MBA from the University of Wisconsin. He became a partner in Ernst & Young’s US member firm in 1991. He was named the distinguished accounting alumnus of the year by the University of Wisconsin business school in 2007. David will continue to be based in London.