EY refers to Ernst & Young, one of the “Big Four” professional services networks in the world. The company provides assurance, tax, strategy and transactions, and consulting services. EY operates in over 150 countries and employs over 312,000 people worldwide.
The head of global tax at EY oversees the firm’s tax practices and professionals across the globe. This is an important leadership role within the organization, requiring extensive tax expertise and management experience. The global head of tax coordinates tax activities across geographies, provides strategic direction for growth and development, and ensures quality and consistency of services worldwide.
Determining who currently holds this position can give insight into EY’s global tax leadership and priorities. This article will examine available information to identify the current head of global tax at EY.
About EY’s Tax Services
EY has one of the largest tax practices in the world. The firm’s tax professionals help clients navigate complex tax regimes across borders and provide a wide range of tax offerings:
– Tax policy and controversy – Supporting clients with tax authority audits, managing tax disputes and advocating for legislative reforms.
– International tax services – Helping multinational companies with cross-border tax structuring, planning, and compliance.
– Transfer pricing – Assisting clients in establishing arm’s length pricing for transactions between entities.
– Tax reporting and strategy – Advising clients on tax operating models, planning, and reporting processes.
– Transaction tax – Tax advisory and compliance services for mergers, acquisitions, divestitures, restructurings, and other deals.
– Indirect tax – VAT, sales tax, and global trade advisory and compliance.
– Tax technology – Services and solutions encompassing data analytics, digital solutions, automation, and more.
EY’s global tax revenues were approximately $10.3 billion for the fiscal year ending in June 2022. The global head of tax oversees these extensive capabilities and client services worldwide.
Factors in Selecting the Global Head of Tax
EY likely considers several key factors when choosing the head of global tax:
– Extensive tax technical knowledge – The role requires deep expertise across multiple tax areas like corporate tax, international tax, indirect taxes, and tax policy.
– Management and leadership skills – The position involves managing a large global team, overseeing strategies and operations, and cultivating talent.
– Global experience – Exposure to different countries, tax systems, and clients provides helpful perspective.
– Client focus – An understanding of tax issues facing major corporations and businesses today.
– Vision and innovation – The leader must have a vision for the future and ability to steer the tax practice into new service areas.
– Communication and presence – Strong communication skills and the right presence for representing the firm are important.
The head of global tax sets the tone and direction for EY’s tax professionals worldwide. The firm chooses an individual with the right blend of tax acumen, leadership abilities, business knowledge, and global perspective.
Recent EY Global Tax Leadership
Examining EY’s global tax leadership over the past decade provides helpful context.
From 2008 to 2014, Mark Weinberger served as EY’s global head of tax before being appointed global chairman and CEO in 2013. Weinberger was previously the global vice chair of tax.
From 2014 to 2019, Kate Barton was EY’s global vice chair of tax services. She was the first woman to serve on EY’s Americas Executive Board. Barton left EY in 2019 to become chief financial officer at Focus Financial Partners.
In 2020, Carmine Di Sibio, EY’s global chairman and CEO, appointed Jean-Pierre Lieb overseeing global tax. Lieb previously served as EY EMEIA tax managing partner since 2014.
This background indicates EY tends to appoint seasoned tax professionals from within the firm to lead global tax. The role requires extensive EY knowledge and relationships in addition to tax capabilities.
Identifying the Current Global Head of Tax
Based on the available information, the current head of global tax at EY is Alex Postma. Here are some key data points confirming this:
– According to his LinkedIn profile, Postma has served as EY Global Tax Leader since July 2021.
– An EY press release from March 2022 announced leadership changes including Postma’s expanded role as EY Global Tax Leader.
– On his LinkedIn profile, Postma indicates he is based in London, consistent with the global tax leadership role.
– Postma has over 25 years of tax experience including time in EY’s Amsterdam and New York offices according to his profile. This indicates substantial knowledge and tenure at the firm required for the global tax position.
Table summarizing recent EY global tax leadership history:
Leader | Tenure |
---|---|
Mark Weinberger | 2008 – 2013 |
Kate Barton | 2014 – 2019 |
Jean-Pierre Lieb | 2020 – 2021 |
Alex Postma | 2021 – Present |
This table summarizes the global tax leaders at EY over the past decade, with Alex Postma being the current head.
About Alex Postma
Based on his public profiles and biographies, here are some key facts about Alex Postma:
– He became EY Global Tax Leader in July 2021 after Jean-Pierre Lieb’s retirement.
– Postma has over 25 years of experience at EY including leadership roles across Europe and the Americas.
– His tax experience encompasses international corporate tax, M&A, and tax policy.
– He serves as a member of EY’s Global Tax Executive Committee and Global Client Service Executive Committee.
– Postma holds a Master’s Degree in tax law from Leiden University.
– His career with EY has included time in the firm’s Amsterdam, New York, and London offices.
– He provides tax thought leadership through events, media publications, and other forums.
– Postma has extensive experience advising multinational companies on tax strategies and planning.
Alex Postma has deep technical tax expertise combined with management and global experience that makes him well-suited for the EY global tax leader position.
Postma’s Priorities as Global Tax Leader
Since assuming the global tax leadership role in 2021, Postma has outlined some key priorities for EY tax:
– Continuing to focus on delivering outstanding client service worldwide.
– Investing in new technology capabilities to enhance tax offerings.
– Developing EY tax professionals to maintain deep technical skillsets.
– Expanding EY’s tax policy and controversy capabilities globally.
– Growing emerging service areas like tax reporting and strategy.
– Embedding environmental, social, and governance (ESG) considerations into tax services.
– Coordinating innovative new service delivery models across geographies.
Under Postma’s leadership, these initiatives represent the future strategic direction of EY’s global tax practice. They aim to enhance the client experience while also developing new offerings to serve evolving business tax needs.
Conclusion
In summary, the current global head of tax at EY is Alex Postma, an experienced international tax professional and longtime EY partner. Postma succeeded Jean-Pierre Lieb, who retired in 2021 after leading global tax for a year.
The role requires extensive technical knowledge and management skills in order to oversee EY’s global network of tax professionals across 150 countries. Postma’s priorities center on service quality, innovation, talent development, and emerging tax needs.
As the global tax landscape changes, Postma aims to position EY’s tax capabilities for the future. His leadership will influence the firm’s thousands of worldwide tax practitioners and shape engagements with multinational corporate clients. Going forward, Postma will continue guiding EY’s global tax practice in today’s complex and rapidly changing tax environment.