KPMG’s Alumni Magazine

June 2010 - First Edition

KPMG IN ROMANIA
2 KPMG’s Alumni Magazine

Welcome
It’s my pleasure to welcome you
to this first edition of KPMG in
Romania’s Alumni magazine.
We aim to use this publication
to bring together all those who
have worked for KPMG in the
past, and who have moved on to
new organizations and some-
times to new careers.
KPMG attracts talented and interesting
people, who develop their skills and
acquire new ones when they work
within KPMG . So we always like to keep
in touch with those who head in new
directions. Communication is critical in
the business world, and so we believe
that maintaining contact with our former
colleagues can also lead to opportunities
both for them, the organizations that
they work for and for KPMG.
KPMG has been in Romania for sixteen
years, and in that time a lot of highly
skilled people have worked here. We
now have alumni in leading positions in
a wide range of organisations, in both
private and public sectors.
Over the next few issues, we will be
featuring interviews with several KPMG
in Romania alumni, and we aim to show
the diverse range of career paths which
those who have worked for KPMG have
gone into.
We will also show how experience
gained at KPMG has helped these
people long after they have left our firm.
I encourage all our alumni to read this
magazine and to keep in touch.
Şerban Toader,
Senior Partner KPMG in Romania

Why have an alumni association?

Andreea Manole, Partner KPMG in Romania, Alumni Coordinator

KPMG: Why have an alumni association?

People are very important to us at KPMG, and because so many interesting individuals have passed
through our doors in the sixteen years since we started out in Romania, we like to keep in touch. We
think our alumni appreciate the chance to stay in contact with former colleagues, who over the years
have become friends. I’ve personally been with KPMG since 1996 and so of course I’ve seen massive
changes since I first joined. I’ve also enjoyed working with a lot of different people from a wide range of
backgrounds. It’s always a great pleasure for me to reconnect with somebody who I’ve worked with in the
past, and find out more about what he or she is doing now.

KPMG: Why is the alumni party such an important event in KPMG’s calendar?

The annual party is the main social event when we connect with our former colleagues and friends. KPMG staff enjoy it, and
so do our alumni. Often alumni like to reconnect with each other as well as with current KPMG employees. We always have
lots to talk about, and it’s an informal event, with an emphasis on meeting old friends, not a formal business function. We like
to hear news about our former employees’ families- maybe some have got married or had children since we last met- so it’s
all about people catching up with each other.

KPMG: Why is KPMG launching an alumni magazine?

The magazine is a way to reconnect with our alumni. We understand that not everybody can make it to the party, so we
thought we’d start another forum which will help people keep in touch. We’re proud of the people who have worked for us, and
we want to feature some of the successes of our former employees in our alumni magazine. We hope you enjoy reading it.
 KPMG’s Alumni Magazine 3

KPMG, part of my journey

Ioana Filipescu, Managing
Director, Raiffeisen Investment
Romania (RIR)
“At KPMG, you will get an
education of a lifetime you
can’t buy anywhere else!”
Ioana took her first degree at
Iasi Polytechnic. She also took an
EMBA at the Academy of Economic
Studies (ASE) in Bucharest,
followed by a Master’s degree in
Public Administration at the École
Nationale d’Administration (Paris).
Ioana has spent overall more than 17
years in corporate finance and M&A
advisory; working for the EBRD, KPMG,
and now Raiffeisen Investment in
Romania.
KPMG: How did KPMG influence your
career?
I.F: There are lots of things I learned
at KPMG, many of which have been
helpful in my future professional
endeavours.
Amongst the most notable I would
mention the importance of teamwork
derived from the management capacity
of adequately staffing projects and the
ability to place real emphasis on fast
delivery.
KPMG: What were the other lessons
from your time at KPMG?
I.F: The capacity to keep a flexible
approach and tailoring the final output
to the client’s needs, as opposed to a
more standardised approach prevalent
in other places. That in turn has fed
a personal philosophy for driving
transformational change. I have since
deployed the skills gained at KPMG in
a number of senior positions, including
my current one as Managing Director of
Raiffeisen Investment Romania (RIR).
KPMG: What advice would you give to
a young trainee at KPMG?
IF: I can honestly say that KPMG is
a great place to be, a big house with
some fantastic people in it, so make
the most of it! You will gain essential
ingredients for your future career,
learn to have a structured approach
complemented by analytical skills. Even
if sometimes you will be expected to
make significant efforts, you will learn
from it. Your quid pro quo: you will get
an education of a lifetime that you can’t
buy anywhere else!
KPMG now has more than 600
employees and 6 office locations:
Bucharest, Iasi, Timisoara, Cluj,
Constanta and Chisinau.

You can keep in touch with

Home again! us via:
Corina Cucoli, Director, Restructuring, KPMG in Romania
Our alumni website
I have always believed that one’s professional life has 3 stages:
learn, do and give back. www.kpmg.com/RO/en/Alumni/
www.kpmgconnect.com
I started working in KPMG in 1997, I’ve learned a lot- learning by
doing mostly. As I was in my 20’s I called KPMG my “private Our linkedin page:
business school”. I learned how to do the right things in business but
www.linkedin.com/KPMG
also how to do the things right. Important.
Romania Alumni
Then I left for “business” - as we used to say - for 10 years. I’ve been in the top www.linkedin.com/KPMG
management teams of several companies. Global Alumni Network
I’ve worked for the benefit of my clients and employees, I’ve created value for my
shareholders and worked for my personal glory too. I’ve had achievements, I’ve had
great teams, I’ve been praised and felt accomplished.
I was in my “doing” phase. When the right time comes you just know that you have
to move forward, not only to get a new challenge but also to reach a new stage. For
me it’s now the “giving back” stage. This is the phase when you manage, do, learn and
share. What can be better for a client than when you talk from your own experience?
So, do you know a better place where you can do all of these things, other than home?
Yes home, this is what I felt when I returned to KPMG in November 2009: that I am
back home. And it feels good.
This is me. What about you?
kpmg.ro

Meet our Central Alumni Team

Daniela Buhus
Partner, Alumni Project Coordinator
Email: dbuhus@kpmg.com

Andreea Manole
Partner, Alumni Project Coordinator
Email: amanole@kpmg.com

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of any particular individual or entity. Although we endeavor to provide accurate and timely information, limited liability company and a member firm of
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KPMG and the KPMG logo are registered trademarks of KPMG International Cooperative (“KPMG Interna- Printed in Romania.
tional”), a Swiss entity.