Time flies when you are having fun

In the Meet KPMG People series, our versatile experts share their stories. This time you'll have a chance to explore KPMG from within, as our experts reveal their unique KPMG journeys.

Ari Engblom, the Head of Legal Services and Tax & Legal Partner has been at KPMG for 25 years. During this time, the world of tax and legal services has gone through a tremendous change. 

– Several years ago, I saw a job posting promoting an international training for young tax advisors in Helsinki. At the time I had just graduated from the university, where I had studied both economics and law and I was looking for a place to put my studies into practice. I decided to apply to KPMG and the one thing that really drew me to the company was the international training opportunity. However, the position I was eventually offered was based in Turku. This meant that I could not participate in the international training, but nevertheless I decided to join the company. Actually a few of those with whom I studied at the same time at the School of Economics in Turku, are also still working at KPMG after all these years - one of them being our earlier CEO Kimmo Antonen.

– Initially I started as an income tax advisor. Later, I got more responsibilities when the new middle market tax team emerged with the focus on private enterprise clients. I was also accountable for our regions and the Enterprise client segment that covered the majority of Finland geographically speaking. The Governmental segment was also a part of it at that time.

Those were quite busy times, but there was also a lot of growth, business development and great fun with both the colleagues and clients. For example, the initial idea to build a digital platform for clients (later to be known as KPMG Move) came together through inspirational discussions amongst a few colleagues in sunny Tampere. After several hiccups and development phases the tool was ready and during COVID-19 it was proven to be “the” tool for remote work collaboration.

Currently, I am a Partner at our Tax & Legal business function responsible of the Legal Services. Besides my core focus in Tax & Legal services, I have also learned a lot about Audit and Advisory Services along the way. I have also met a great number of people from other KPMG practices around the world with amazingly similar culture, interests, and challenges.

– It is motivating to work together with our people and to mentor younger colleagues. I have been considered good at innovating new service models, products, or solutions for our clients as well as developing our business, all of which I enjoy. The wide range of competences we have means there are always new areas of collaboration to be found.

– Looking back, we have always been encouraged and allowed to develop our business and provide new innovative solutions.  The culture with an unconditional can-do approach challenges us to always find the best solutions for our clients. 

– Colleagues are helpful and always ready to challenge you to evolve your thinking. Low hierarchy motivates all people. Everyone meets and corresponds with the clients regardless of the experience – the most junior colleagues together with us old hands. Relevance and meaningfulness of our everyday work becomes thus reality, it is highly motivating and makes a difference also to our clients, Ari sums up.