"I strongly believe that to grow, it’s important to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. I can’t think of a better challenge than living and working abroad."
How long have you been with KPMG, in which countries and which roles?
I have been with KPMG for nearly 8 years altogether. I first did an internship in Australia in Audit back in 2011. I was part of the Integration Separation team in Singapore from 2015 to 2022 and recently moved to Switzerland in early 2022 to join the Global Strategy team as a Senior Manager.
Why did you decide to move to Switzerland?
I wanted to go back to Europe to get closer to my family, located in France. I needed to find a place where I could combine my business and personal ambitions, staying in a dynamic, international environment with a strong entrepreneurship mindset (business) together with a challenging new outdoor playground to train for upcoming sports competitions and discover incredible new landscapes on the weekend (personal). Switzerland, and Zurich in particular, ticked all the boxes!
What was your most memorable experience during your time in Asia?
I work in Integration and Separation (Deal Advisory). By nature, these projects are longer compared to other Deal Advisory work, spanning from between four months to over a year. I led a particularly complex integration from beginning to end (for those who know – from the deal closing phase, blueprinting, day-one delivery and post-day-one integration and strategy) from Bangkok and Thailand, working day-in day-out, hand-in-hand with the KPMG Thailand team and both companies to make this deal a success. I have grown and learned a lot working in an environment where, firstly, I didn’t speak the language of the working teams (Thai), secondly, the ways of working and working behaviors are very different, and thirdly, the local culture and traditional values are so embedded in the working environment that I had to significantly adjust my management style to fit in and gain the team’s trust and support. This experience was truly humbling and I understood what working together as ONE team really means.
What similarities do you see between KPMG Switzerland and Singapore and what surprised you the most?
There are a lot of similarities between Singapore and Switzerland. People say ‘Singapore is the Asian Switzerland’ and vice versa. From my own KPMG experience, both countries work in close and intense collaboration with other countries in their region, pretty much like a hub, and both have truly international teams that create great dynamism.
I have to say I was surprised by the new Zurich office! What a great place and set up to work in, everything works smoothly. I’m loving it! I also got the warmest welcome from the team and felt part of it from Day 1. So, thanks to the GSG team!
What key learnings have you taken with you for your personal and professional life?
I strongly believe that to grow, it’s important to get out of your comfort zone and challenge yourself. I can’t think of a better challenge than living and working abroad. Being exposed to different cultures, values and ways of working will open your mind and teach you the importance of listening, observing and being resilient. Living abroad will also allow you to expand your horizons (and your network!), meeting new people with different mindsets, backgrounds, and views on life. I would strongly encourage any curious mind to try the experience; you will grow so much and come back as a stronger and better version of yourself.