Patricia Braga

Who are you and how long have you worked for KPMG?

My name is Patricia, I grew up in Gruyère and I'm also Portuguese. I'm a manager in Audit in Basel and I've been working for KPMG for just over six years. During my free time I love to practice yoga and I'm also learning to perform Thai yoga massages as my 2022 challenge. 

During your time at KPMG, you have worked in different teams. Tell us about your roles before and after.

During my time at KPMG, I've had the chance to experience many different locations and teams. I started in the Lausanne office in 2015 in Audit and worked on many different client accounts, ranging from a small client to the largest FMCG (Fast Moving Consumer Goods) company. Working on such a large engagement, with people of many nationalities, gave me the desire to go on a secondment and experience a new culture. But just as plans started to crystalize, COVID-19 hit, and plans had to be put on hold. However, KPMG — and especially my Performance Manager at that time — understood that I really wanted to do something different, and we decided to reach out to the Accounting Advisory Services team in Zurich. They gave me the opportunity to join them in September 2020 and I ended up staying with the team until October 2021. During summer 2020, I also had the chance to help on a proposal, which we ended up winning. This meant that I got the opportunity to take part in the exciting journey of setting up the first-year audit of a multinational company, hence going back to audit and joining the Basel team, pushing my plans of going on secondment back for a while longer.

What motivated you to change roles?

After five years in audit, I wanted to see something new in terms of work and location. I knew that KPMG could offer me both. 

What would you recommend to colleagues who are interested in joining other teams, roles or functions?

I started the process through discussions with my Performance Manager, who was really supportive and empowering. I'd recommend to anyone who is interested in experiencing something different at KPMG to reach out to their Performance Manager. In my opinion, the opportunities within the firm are amazing and we should encourage people on their journeys. There are a lot of opportunities that can allow you to break your routine and get out of your comfort zone (proposals, special transactions, comfort letters, etc.). When you hear about a project or a special assignment that interests you, just reach out. There's always a need for motivated people.

What were you biggest learnings?

Being curious and taking on new challenges is the best way for me to develop professionally and personally. Over the past six years, I've had the chance to meet so many fantastic people from many departments and throughout the world. I discovered the very interesting and challenging world of advisory, the thrill of proposals and the growth opportunities of special transactions. There's always something new to learn if you're looking for it.