BDO appoints new Global Head of Tax
BDO has announced the appointment of Niek de Haan as Global Head of Tax, effective 1 July 2025. Niek will succeed Robert Aziz, who will retire after a long-standing career at BDO, firstly with BDO UK, followed by his current global role.
Niek joined BDO The Netherlands in 1997, rising to Partner and Head of Tax and Legal and, under his leadership, doubling the size of the Amstelveen tax practice to become the largest practice in the firm. Niek has served as a valued member of the BDO Global Tax Committee since 2020 and was the founder of the BDO Centre of Excellence for EU Tax Law.
Robert joined BDO UK in 2002 and for many years he led the UK’s Corporate International Tax team, based in London. He was appointed to the Global Leadership Team as Global Head of Tax in 2017. During his tenure, he has been the driving force behind the continued growth of our global tax business to become the second largest service line in our organisation.
Robert comments: “The tax environment has continually evolved over the last two decades, and during this period I’ve been privileged to work alongside many talented colleagues across our global organisation to find effective solutions to complex problems faced by our clients. Our people and our client relationships are central to our success, and having known Niek for several years, I am confident that under his leadership, these key strengths will continue to drive BDO tax services forward.”
Commenting on his appointment, Niek adds:
“I’m honoured to accept the challenge of building on Robert’s impressive legacy within the BDO organisation globally. With heightened focus on international tax assurance and risk management, BDO is well placed to capitalise on growing demand for agile and international advisers. I’m thrilled to be able to lead our teams towards new opportunities in the future.”
Pat Kramer, BDO’s Chief Executive Officer said:“I would like to express our thanks to Robert for leading our Tax business to extraordinary growth and for his decades of commitment to the organisation. We are delighted to welcome Niek as his successor. As tax services continue to undergo significant transformation, driven by evolving customer needs and expectations, and developments in technology, Niek’s depth of knowledge, expertise and experience will be invaluable in successfully navigating our business through a period of unprecedented pace of change globally.”
Niek is based in The Netherlands and will report to Pat Kramer, Global CEO.