BDO Global heads visit Sri Lanka

Martin van Roekel, the Global CEO of BDO, and Stephen Darley, CEO, Asia Pacific, will be in Sri Lanka from 21 to 22 February to visit the BDO Sri Lanka office and meet the staff. 

BDO Sri Lanka Managing Partner Sujeewa Rajapakse commented: “It is a great opportunity for us to showcase our technical competence and prowess in the field of accounting and assurance in Sri Lanka and to impress upon Martin, that our professionals are equipped with the knowledge and tools that are required to face the Global demands in today′s challenging business environment.”

In turn, it is believed that, Martin who is working closely with many accounting professionals across the world on a global platform will undoubtedly be in a position to share his views on how professionals in Sri Lanka may improve their competencies to ensure ″exceptional client service″, which is the benchmark of BDO across the world.

BDO is an international network of public accounting, tax and advisory firms which perform professional services under the name of BDO. As of 2016, BDO has member firms in 158 countries, employs around 67,000 partners and staff in over 1,400 offices throughout the world, and is the fifth largest professional services network globally. 

BDO Partners in Sri Lanka is a firm of Chartered Accountants operating since 1958, providing Auditing, Accounting, Taxation and other related services to its clients over the years. The assurance services are performed by skilled audit teams, led by leaders who have in-depth knowledge with local and global experience, with an understanding of the challenging environment in which the clients operate. The Audit approach is designed to fulfill the Firm′s audit responsibilities, both in regard to regulatory requirements as well as client demands in a challenging business environment.

The agenda for the visit of Roekel and Darley is scheduled to include visiting the BDO Sri Lanka office, meeting with heads of Government institutions and other stakeholders, meeting with key clients of BDO Sri Lanka and meeting with officials of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Sri Lanka.

Martin van Roekel took office as the global CEO of BDO on 1 October 2011. 

Martin joined BDO Camps Obers in the Netherlands in 1975, becoming a partner in 1988. He immediately became involved with international business as the partner responsible for a number of international clients including US based clients. 

On a national level, he managed the Northeast region (11 offices) for six years and became a member of the board of BDO Camps Obers Accountants & Advisers, representing Finance and IT, in 2002, moving to chairmanship of the board in 2004. In the same year, he became a member of the international BDO Policy Board and took over the chairmanship in 2007. 

In 2009, Martin stood down from his role with BDO Netherlands and from the chairmanship of the international Policy Board in order to join the Global Leadership Team as Global Head of Network Development and CEO – Europe. His appointment reflected the importance of network development to BDO, and under his leadership the network has grown from 110 member firms to 148.

Stephen Darley is the CEO Asia Pacific for BDO International Limited.  In that role, he serves on the BDO Global Leadership Team and is the Chairman of the BDO Asia Pacific Board.

His focus is on the corporate and strategic development of BDO in the Asia Pacific region and its alignment to the BDO Global Strategy and Vision.

Stephen has 25 years of professional and operational experience across eight countries in the region.

He has had a wide and varied professional experience that includes incorporating and establishing the first foreign controlled Asset Management Company in Thailand; building a distressed debt servicing platform in New Delhi; and leading roles in the valuation of distressed debt portfolios across South East Asia. 

Whilst stationed in Jakarta and following the 1998 Asian financial crisis he led the review team into one of the four operating subsidiaries of what was then the largest defaulting debtor in the emerging markets.

His Asian and professional experience across borders and cultures in the emerging markets of Thailand, Indonesia, the Philippines and India together with the more mature economies of Taiwan, Singapore, Hong Kong and his native Australia, provides a sound base for his current role.