PHILIPSBURG--Grant Thornton St. Maarten (formerly PricewaterhouseCoopers PwC) clients can expect more “agile and responsive” service from the rebranded company, the management team of the St. Maarten branch told The Daily Herald on Thursday.
PwC was recently rebranded Grant Thornton. The local office is being managed by tax partner Paul van Vliet, partner for business and accounting services Herbert Beldman and associate partner for assurance Petra Pupping.
Elaborating on the reason for the rebranding to Grant Thornton, the team said that after conducting a thorough analysis, PwC Dutch Caribbean partners and the PwC network had concluded that the business model being used no longer fitted the interests of the markets the local firm served. As a result, the partnership decided to leave the PwC global network by the end of the fiscal year (June 30, 2018).
The conclusion was to join another international network of accountants and advisors that focuses more on the small and medium-size businesses that form the majority of clients to which the firm caters.
The leadership team intentionally decided to work together with an organisation just outside “the Big 4,” while still having a global reach and sufficient opportunities for both employees and their clients.
Asked what improvements clients in St. Maarten can expect from Grant Thornton that they were not getting under PwC, the team said: “More agile and responsive service. Given the fact that we are now locally owned, we now operate in a flatter structured organisation, with shorter decision-making chains, empowered teams and less complex chains of command. We have all the necessary processes and controls, but they’re streamlined and efficient; therefore, our teams can be more responsive.
“What we notice already during the onboarding process is the flat organisational structure of Grant Thornton. This allows for faster communication across the network, thereby allowing us to react faster to specific questions or requests from clients. So, whether we need specific knowledge or expertise, or to be able to provide cross-border services to our clients, we believe we can offer an even better client experience.”
Grant Thornton is a network of independent assurance, tax and advisory firms made up of 50,000 people in more than 135 countries, and it is here to help dynamic organisations unlock their potential for growth, the team said.
“For more than 100 years, Grant Thornton has helped dynamic organisations realise their strategic ambitions. Whether the client is looking to finance growth, manage risk and regulation, optimise their operations or realise stakeholder value, Grant Thornton can help. The network has got scale of operations combined with local market understanding, given the fact that current management has been serving clients in St. Maarten for more than 25 years.
“The flat organisation structure allows us to communicate more efficiently and effectively across the network. In today’s professional services market, it is key to have a strong and global network. The network keeps us honest, provides us structure, a brand with a strong reputation, and, more importantly, quick access to knowledge and experience.
“We need to continuously update our knowledge in order to keep up with the rapid developments in markets and at our clients. The flatter organisational structure allows us to quickly navigate to the right sources, wherever they are in the world, without wasting significant time. The time we save we can spend on our clients, thereby giving them more value for money.”
The team said that while clients may not yet be familiar with the Grand Thornton brand, they do know the team members. “We have already been here for you for a very long time. The Sint Maarten team has not changed with this transition and is ready to continue our relationship with you for many more years. We believe that with Grant Thornton we are even better positioned to focus on what matters most: helping clients and relations maximise their opportunities for growth.”
Asked what their top goals are for the rebranded company, the management team said: “Our main goals remain the same: Be actively involved in the rebuilding of the economy of St. Maarten, be the preferred employer in our business and be passionately involved in the community. What will change is the time that we spend with our clients on matters that are important to them – especially since we’re still dealing with the aftermath of [Hurricane – Ed.] Irma. Let our clients focus on what matters most: making sure they’re fully back in business.”
The management team has a wealth of experience. Van Vliet has more than 25 years’ experience, Pupping more than 13 years’ experience and Beldman more than 12 years in the Dutch Caribbean of which nine years were in St. Maarten.
“With the transition, we had the opportunity to become a locally-owned Grant Thornton firm within the Dutch Caribbean. We strongly believe in the potential of St. Maarten and we see it as a great opportunity to be part of the future development of the island,” they said.
Grant Thornton Sint Maarten is located at Emmaplein #2 in Philipsburg and can be reached at tel. 542-2379.
