Krzysztof Łaskawiec Krzysztof Łaskawiec Krzysztof Łaskawiec

The Deal Advisory department consists of five teams. The Mergers & Acquisitions (M&A) team advises on the sale, acquisition, or merger of companies. The Valuation team is responsible for advising on the valuation of companies. The Transaction Services team is responsible for financial advisory and support in capital transactions, and the Financing team advises on obtaining and restructuring financing. The newest in the structure is the Forensic team, which assists clients in identifying and assessing risks arising from irregularities and fraud, contentious situations and non-compliance with national and international standards and regulatory requirements.

I have worked in the Financing team for over 4 years. I currently hold the role of Manager in the team. My adventure with KPMG started in October 2013, when I began an internship in the Financial Audit Department after completing my Bachelor's degree. I chose KPMG primarily because of the company's reputation and the efficient and clear recruitment process. An additional motivating factor was the people at the recruitment interview, who made a very positive impression on me. The beginning of the traineeship in the Financial Audit Department was a course in accounting. After just a few days of training, together with the other trainees we formed a good group, some of whom I still continue to have contact with practically on a daily basis!

After two years in financial auditing, I went to the Netherlands for a Master's degree. During my studies, I decided that I wanted to pursue a career in financial consultancy. I knew KPMG and I knew there was an extensive Deal Advisory Department. While I was still studying, I got in touch with the Financing team in the Advisory Department and two weeks after defending my Master's thesis, I started working in the Financing team as an analyst. It was July 2016 and to be honest, I never imagined that I would work here for more than 4 years. Interesting projects, development opportunities and, above all, great people keep me in the Financing team to this day.

Currently, as a Manager, my duties include project management and acquisition of new projects. As part of the management of current projects, I supervise and support the work of analysts and specialists, and I myself carry out key financial analyses as part of, for example, preparing reports or building financial models. At the same time, I try to acquire new projects by submitting bids and building relationships with clients – the so-called business development. Apart from these duties I also have other responsibilities such as overseeing project budgets or recruiting new people to the team.

To tell you the truth, the vast majority of the projects I have participated in during my 4+ years in the Financing team have been interesting. If I were to name one, I am most proud of, it would be a client from the logistics industry, for whom we provided a range of services such as building a financial model, preparing a recovery plan, and analysing the current liquidity situation. The products of our work significantly contributed to the successful restructuring of the company. At such moments I really feel that the work done has a measurable effect in the form of saving the company from bankruptcy.

Looking at my example, there are many opportunities to grow in Deal Advisory – I started as an Analyst in July 2016, in October 2020, after more than 4 years I became a Manager. I do not mention this to brag, and it does not mean I am an outstanding individual. It is just that the Deal Advisory Department provides such opportunities for growth and effective work is appreciated here.

In addition to the issue of promotions, Deal Advisory also offers a range of training courses. I myself have had the opportunity to attend courses in Frankfurt and Paris. They are an excellent opportunity to study a particular topic and to meet KPMG employees from all over the world. In addition, our department supports the CFA (Chartered Financial Analyst) qualification through reimbursement of costs and days off for study leave.

Working at KPMG allowed me to develop my skills in Corporate Finance, including the construction of financial models and preparation of financial analyses. The recipients of our products are usually company boards or financial institutions such as banks, insurers, or investment funds, hence the quality of our products has to be top-notch. In addition, work at KPMG is project-based, so you can quickly learn multitasking, teamwork and working under pressure. In my opinion, the key to success at KPMG is the ability to work in a team, to work under time pressure and to manage projects over time. For me, the key to success in my job is a combination of the analytical skills required to successfully execute ongoing projects and the interpersonal skills required to build relationships within the team and with clients. The key to success is to combine "hard" skills with "soft" skills. People who can do this are, in my opinion, the most successful at work and I am happy to collaborate with such people on a daily basis. 

What I like most about my job is the diversity of projects and working with young and ambitious people. The diversity of projects allows me to get to know different industries and prevents boredom and monotony.  On the other hand, working with younger people allows me to learn different ways of thinking and fosters an energetic team atmosphere.