Tell us briefly what new opportunities and perspectives did TPA get by becoming an independent member of Baker Tilly Europe Alliance?
Forming and being a member of Baker Tilly Europe Alliance brings unique opportunities for us, but – more important – also for our clients. This Alliance is the result of a close partnership with the renowned German consultancy company Baker Tilly Roelfs. This means that from now on we will be able to offer our German investors a very attractive and beneficial package: on the one hand our successful local offices with top expertise and pre-existing German and English speaking desks will remain; on the other hand through our partners there will be the direct link to the German headquarters.
Additionally, TPA will use the worldwide Baker Tilly International Network, guaranteeing our clients support in all areas of the world.
Could you please explain what are TPA Group’s advantages on the market?
I think it is very well summarized with “Face-to-Face Business”. We are living this credo in both directions, within our internal organization as well as in our daily work with our clients. TPA Group is not a simple and loose network like many others. On the contrary, we are organized in a highly integrated group structure. Our people meet and see each other regularly, working together across borders for the benefit of our clients.
Tell us a bit more about Face-to-Face business strategy and why is it crucial for TPA to implement it in its everyday business.
“Face-to-Face Business” is not a simple slogan summarizing our business strategy: For me it is the headline of our TPA mission statement. I would like to explain this. I think we are entitled to be self-confident, to say that we are providing top-quality tax consulting, accounting, audit and advisory services of our clients. However, there are also other firms in our industry that make a similar claim. So where is the difference? When working with us, clients do not only get 10-pages in writing or just a statement. We want to see and meet our clients in order to understand their needs and concerns, to give them our personal opinion and to find the best solution for them. For us it is all about people and that is well summarized with “Face-to-Face Business”.
What are your main challenges as a partner?
As a partner it is very important for me to push forward, to make high demands on myself and to show our team that what was said above about “Face-to-Face Business” is an internalized attitude and not just an empty phrase. Of course it might happen that there are from time to time discussions with clients and employees due to different views or misunderstandings. The crucial thing is how you deal with such issues. It is very important to take care of these immediately and to aim to find balanced solutions.
With what challenges are TPA clients faced with in Serbia?
Our clients see Serbia as a growth market for the future. Considering the political stability in recent years and the steps towards an EU accession, companies from different industries are finding interesting investment opportunities in various industries (real estate, agriculture, automotive, etc.). However, the legal and administrative environment is different than, for example, in Austria. This means that companies have to prepare carefully in advance. And this is where we come in. We want to establish a partner relationship with our clients by accompanying and supporting them actively in their market entry.
What do you value the most regarding your clients?
As mentioned above we want to build up a partner relationship with our clients and become their trusted advisor. Fully in line with “Face-to-Face Business” we always want to meet our clients personally and discuss their needs but also get their feedback. I think our clients can see that we are going the extra mile for them and they appreciate this a lot. As a result very often we do not only build up a long-term client relationship but also friendship.
Where do you see TPA in five years?
I have a very positive view about the future. Today we are a leading tax and audit firm in Austria and Central and South Eastern Europe. With the Baker Tilly Europe Alliance, in particular with our German partner Baker Tilly Roelfs, I think we will develop as a European player in our industry.
This will also have a very positive impact on our further development of TPA Serbia. Taking this into consideration and looking at our outstanding growth over the last years, I am confident that in five years we will be one of the biggest consultancy firms in Serbia after the so-called Big 4.
Read interview with Jelena Štrbac here.