Ten years of excellence on the consultancy market

Mamas Koutsoyiannis, director at Baker Tilly Klitou and Partners, tells Business Review about the company’s major achievements on the local market and the significant role its membership of the Baker Tilly International network plays in its success in Romania.

Anda Sebesi

For how long have you been present on the Romanian market and what have the company’s major achievements been over the years?
We entered the Romanian market in early 2003 with only five dedicated people working in the office. In the first few months of operations, we managed to gain our first ten customers, providing them with audit, accounting, corporate and legal services. We are now a team of 60 people servicing over 500 companies locally and internationally. Throughout the years, we have received various nominations and recognition from ACCA, the World Bank, ICAEW and local professional institutions such as CAFR, CECCAR and CCFR as well as specialized publications in Romania and abroad. The most recent accolade we received is the “Special Award – Fast Growing Tax Practices” from Avocatnet.ro, in October this year. Our tax practice was recognized as a second-tier tax practice (i.e. after the Big 4 corporations) for the first time in 2012, recognition maintained in the rankings published for 2013 as well.

You are a member firm of the Baker Tilly International network. How does this help you on the Romanian market and how significant is its contribution to the success of your company?
Back in 2003, we were the first Klitou and Partners office to become an independent member firm of the Baker Tilly International Network, under the brand name “Baker Tilly Romania”. Through our membership with the Baker Tilly International network, we are able to draw on resources and expertise to help meet the needs of our customers, solve complex business problems and face the demanding challenges of tomorrow.

Whilst each member firm has a strong reputation in their local market, the combined strength of the member firms shows Baker Tilly International is a key global accountancy and audit network. Access to quality member firms globally is the most important reason for our membership of Baker Tilly International – we are confident that all Baker Tilly International firms can provide our customers with the same service they expect from us.

Being members of an international reputable network is an indication to our customers in Romania that we provide high-quality services and we have the knowledge and capabilities to offer them support in their cross-border transactions, as well as in their domestic operations. And we’re talking here about areas like: auditing consolidated financial statements, supporting the tax planning efforts of members of multinational groups, helping them to design transfer pricing policies and to prepare transfer pricing documentation either at entity level or at group level, and supporting customers in their reporting obligations to the group.

What are the main duties of Baker Tilly Klitou’s team of professionals?
Our people are more than just consultants. They make it their business to know and understand their customers’ long-term ambitions, anticipating and responding to challenges as their customers pursue opportunities. They are all dedicated professionals, with local and international qualifications, who manage through intensive continuous development to meet the demands of our customers and stay on top of the legislation changes. And by a very thorough selection, induction and training process we ensure that all of our new employees adhere to the excellent standards set by their colleagues.

Your stated objective is to build a strong relationship with your customers. How have you managed to do this on the Romanian market?
Our customers are the most important element of our business. Our services are fully geared towards fulfilling their needs. We keep a frequent and open communication channel with them. We treat each customer individually with respect and professionalism and we offer services of the highest standards and respond proactively, ensuring the maintenance of our professional independence at all times. We are extremely proud and pleased that our very first customer, an international name like us, is still a loyal customer after 10 years full of challenges.

You pay a lot of attention to the quality of your services. What is your strategy behind the services you offer to your customers to make sure they are satisfied?
The key to our success is our people. The excellent services provided by our team are the result of their continuous efforts to maintain a high level of knowledge and professionalism. We always give our people the chance to enhance their knowledge through internal and outsourced training sessions.
And they also have access to Baker Tilly International resources, which provide a wealth of professional information and access to expertise and know-how from the network of our industry experts across the world. Our people also receive frequent online training, through Baker Tilly International online training tools, and have access to network conferences and customized training given by prestigious providers worldwide, thereby keeping updated and learning more about current issues affecting the profession and beyond.

What types of customers do you target on the Romanian market?
We have the capability to provide services to customers from various industries, without limitation; therefore I could not say that we target a specific industry. So far we have never encountered restrictions or limitations in any industry; we provide our clients with the same professionalism regardless of their activity. Our client portfolio includes various types and sizes of enterprises, including holding companies, which operate in various business sectors, from retail and manufacturing to financial institutions and automotive.

How do you characterize the Romanian market niche you operate on and what can you tell us about your plans?
The Romanian professional services niche is a very challenging one and it takes a good strategy and highly skilled professionals to keep ourselves in the competition with top consultancy firms in Romania.
Romanian consumers of auditing, accounting, tax, legal and corporate finance services are very demanding clients. They expect a high quality of services rendered for very competitive prices. Qualifications, recommendations and public awareness are very important when selecting a services provider in this field of activity. This is why we do our best to constantly prove our knowledge and skills, as well as our willingness to share the knowledge to the benefit of our clients. Our skilled professionals often participate as speakers in various public events and we actively share our knowledge through CPD events organized by reputable professional organizations. We are also involved in the business environment’s efforts to lobby the authorities to adapt the legal framework to the reality of the challenging periods we are facing.

Also, our audit and assurance department is on the list of fully approved auditors for all World Bank-financed projects, thus enhancing our ability to work with Romanian ministries and public sector institutions, and Baker Tilly International is also shortlisted in the Forum of Firms. This allows us to audit projects financed by the European Bank of Reconstruction and Development. Through all these means – qualifications and increased public awareness – we aim to become the top second-tier firm over the next five years.

Baker Tilly Klitou Romania in numbers:
Team: 60
Number of customers: 500+
Significant customers: Druckfarben, Elmec, Alumil, Miele, Steelmet, New Kopel, Bank of Cyprus, Sarantis, Singer, Karamolegos, Epstein, ACCA, Benevo, 5aSec, Argo, AIMS, Demetra Public Investements, Marinopoulos Coffee (Starbucks), Argo, 360 Insights, Singer, Marinpoulos Rom Fashion (GAP), Izvorul Cristalin, SunChemical
Certifications: Member of CAFR, CECCAR, CCFR, ANEVAR, ACCA approved CPD employer, ACCA Approved Employer – Trainee development Platinum level, ICAEW Approved Training Practice
Eligible to audit projects financed by the World Bank, EBRD.

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