KPMG Lower Gulf bolsters its leadership team, as Advisory business registers 20% growth at its 2014 financial year-end

•    KPMG increases partner strength by 15% in 2014
•    Four new partners appointed to support ambitious growth plans in the Lower Gulf
    
Dubai, 11 November 2014: Leading global audit, advisory and tax services firm, KPMG has been strengthening its senior management team, reflecting continuing business growth as it increased partner strength in the Lower Gulf by 15%, up to its 2014 year-end. 

KPMG in the Lower Gulf currently employs over 700 professional staff led by 34 Partners. Within the wider MESA region, KPMG member firms operate in 17 countries across the Middle East and in South Asia. The region covers 34 offices and has 170 Partners and over 5,000 professionals working together to deliver value.

KPMG's global strategy has most recently included a focus on key investments in people, technology and services, which has laid the foundation for sustained profitable growth, specifically a 20% regional growth in the firm's Advisory arm in 2014. 

Vijay Malhotra, Senior Partner and CEO, KPMG Lower Gulf said: “KPMG's global strategy has equipped us to help clients succeed in this new economic era. We continue to select professionals from a talent pool of industry specialists, backed by in-depth knowledge, local experience and a truly client-focused approach. Furthermore, we leverage the extensive breadth and depth of knowledge and expertise available to us, via our network of professionals across our member firms worldwide. To further this goal in the region, we have appointed four new Partners, who will help us drive business from high potential sectors in the region.”

The newly appointed partners come with a wealth of experience in the MENA region and include Ashish Dave, Ghassan Qudah, Greg Hughes and Yusuf Hassan. 

Ashish Dave re-joins KPMG after six years during which period he worked with The Abraaj Group as a Partner and CFO and was previously with KPMG for over 10 years in the UK and the Lower Gulf. In his present role, in addition to being a Partner in the Transactions and Restructuring department, Ashish will also lead the Private Equity/Sovereign Wealth Funds sector.

Ghassan Qudah has been working with the firm's Lower Gulf practice for over four years and has held several transformation and institutional development engagements in the UAE, Saudi Arabia, Bahrain, Oman and Jordan. His sector experience spans government, regulatory agencies, financial institutions, transport and logistics.

Newly appointed Partner Greg Hughes, has diverse experience in the field of IPOs, capital and equity markets and cross-border M&A deals and was a founding member of KPMG Europe LLP's Capital Markets Group in London, prior to joining the firm in the Lower Gulf region.

Meanwhile, Yusuf Hassan who will head the Accounting Advisory Services initiative for the firm's Lower Gulf practice has been in KPMG's Department of Professional Practice since October 2005. Yusuf has provided IFRS assistance to a wide range of blue chip clients in various industries in the Middle East and conducted IFRS training in in the MENA region.

Other recent senior appointments include Vikas Papriwal, who was until recently Head of Transactions and Restructuring and has now taken on a full time position as Head of Markets. Muhammad Tariq, Head of Audit is taking on the additional role as Head of People and Karl Hendricks Consulting Partner has been appointed as Head of Consulting.  

Malhotra added: “KPMG Lower Gulf will continue to make significant investments that support our long-term, sustainable growth agenda, while staying focused on high-growth markets and developing new services. I would like to congratulate our new Partners who will play a strategic role in helping us execute this agenda in the Lower Gulf in the coming months and years.”