Q&A with our 2024 Retiring Partners

Our retiring Partners share a little more about themselves, their memories with the firm, as well as insight on their plans post-KPMG.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?

• I am privileged to have assumed the following roles throughout my career in KPMG: Head of Advisory, Head of Deal Advisory, Head of Turnaround and Restructuring (TRS), Head of Forensic, Head of Transaction Services, ASPAC Head of DA, Global Head of Sales, Turnaround and Restructuring. 
• Building the Forensic and TRS practices from scratch.
• Putting in place a robust succession plan for TRS and promoted three partners to succeed me.
   

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
I would say fighting in the trenches with my team members day and night on key engagements.

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
Being a Hokkien, many can relate to this song, 爱拼才会赢 which means work hard and reap what you sow.

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
Take a short break and back to work again.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?
Seeing my colleagues develop and grow professionally and personally, be it within or outside the firm. Enabling the firm to manage risks with eyes wide open even as we undertake new and exciting opportunities.

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
There are too many to name, and too many to remember! Rec Club parties, partners’ dinners, conferences, team gatherings, regulatory inspections and quality performance reviews will always bring a tear to the eye.

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
Exhilarating! Because of the numerous opportunities that were given to me and the diversity of people I got to meet and know as a result.

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
Chill!

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?

Painstakingly built KPMG Forensic from infancy to the largest forensic practice in Singapore. The KPMG Forensic practice in Indonesia started around 2014 and has grown to match the size of the country’s incumbent largest Forensic firm.

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
All our department trips of course. When I was leading Risk Consulting, I was crazy enough to bring the entire unit of more than 300 people to Taiwan for our department trip. 

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
Our people! It’s always the people, as they represent the firm. We will develop our people and only in doing so, the firm will progress. When we retire and hand over the firm to the next generation of people, we hand over a firm better than the one we took over. 

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
Though I am a forensic partner, I've always wanted to run my software development firm, particularly one with Singapore technology. I want to set up my Singapore software development firm and if possible, bring the Singapore technology flag to all corners of the world.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?

Transforming Tax Technical Practice and Tax Planning & Compliance.  

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?

The Tax Technical Practice team bonding trips.

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?

Challenging but rewarding. There was a need to deal with many operational issues to win businesses and earn the trust of people, but in doing so I was able to stretch myself to the limits, and establish long-term personal relationships with colleagues and clients.  

Plans after retiring from KPMG?

Slow down and do things which I have not been able to find time to do, such as spending more time with my family, attending other types of gym classes, further deepening my tax technical knowledge, reading, cooking and baking.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?

Supporting the aspirations and energy of the KPMG Dragonboat team. The team wanted their own boats (instead of renting) so that they could be more focused in training. They also loved the idea of competing overseas to get experience and build team esprit de corps. I was happy to support their endeavours along with Henry Tan and Tan Khai Boon.

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
Hanging out with teams, especially during department trips, where we only slept for a few hours every day. We were often ‘advised’ by security to keep our noise levels in our villas moderate past midnight.

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
A super roller coaster ride; there’s never a dull moment, with a new experience around every corner, bump and loop.

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
Embracing a very long list of passions, many of which are nostalgic, from younger days.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?
I am privileged to have led the following practices in the firm:

• Co-lead Advisory from Jan 2020 – Sep 2023 
• Head of Audit from Jul 2015 – Dec 2019
• Head of Deal Advisory from 2014 – 2015
• Head of Restructuring Services from 2012 – 2015
• Head of Capital Market Group from 2005 – 2012

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
Our engagement with a key client for their Initial Public Offering in the early 1990s, where the entire firm was involved; as well as the Management Group/Partners Conferences or Retreat over the years. 

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
Fullfilling career.

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
Learn a new language and skillset by using SkillsFuture Credits, travelling, and golfing.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?

Altogether, I spent 30 years growing up and progressing with the firm. There were so many achievements that the firm has achieved over this period. As a tax professional, it has to be pushing ourselves to the limits in structuring solutions for our clients in the real estate sector. However, the most comforting achievement is seeing the KPMG signboard on the Asia Square Tower 2 facade. It is a symbol of progress and all the achievements that KPMG has accumulated over the years. 

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
All the good friends and colleagues that I have met during this period, and the wonderful moments working together. These are great memories. 

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
Gratitude – this is the place where I grew up making mistakes, being forgiven, and being allowed to progress.

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
I plan to have no plans. Whatever comes naturally is the best.

Achievements with KPMG that you are most proud of?

Securing a key win in 2007 with the help and support of global team members is something that I am most proud of. I did a cold call and met the then-CFO of the client, and shortly after he sent me the RFP for their global tax restructuring exercise. We worked very hard, and our proposal was extremely impressive (it was a few hard cover bound booklets with a lot of planning ideas and structures, gosh!). That was the first time I worked with the global team as a tax engagement partner – for one and a half years, I attended 2am conference calls with the US; 8am with Asia; and 3pm with the UK, on a daily basis because the Singapore team coordinated the project covering three continents. I literally slept with my office mobile phone beside my pillow. I built good relationships and networks with contacts across geographies.

What is your favourite memory with KPMG?
When I was a General Associate, I was asked to attend a client meeting on my own – back then we were very short-handed, and those were the years when clients were knocking on our doors, with numerous ad-hoc client meetings on a daily basis. I think I must have handled it very well as the client told me that I was impressive and should get a promotion soon – which I did, hahaha.

What is one word or phrase you would use to describe your career in KPMG?
A roller coaster with lots of ups and downs; extremely enriching, fulfilling and eventful, a place that enabled me to meet and experience working with all kinds of characters.

Plans after retiring from KPMG?
I will be travelling quite a bit, attending SID courses in preparation for ID accreditation, intensifying my Chinese calligraphy (I am taking part in an exhibition in October) and table tennis practice (I picked this up when I was in Shanghai), learning Korean which I have just recently signed up for (so that I can watch Korean dramas without focusing too much on subtitles). I'm also considering signing up for Traditional Chinese Medicine courses.