Our culture is built on trust, flexibility and a working environment that empowers our employees to grow professionally while shaping their personal lives in meaningful ways.
Whether through flexible work models, remote work opportunities or international assignments, we provide the conditions that support individual life situations and enable true work-life balance.
Meet four colleagues who share how they successfully balance their professional ambitions with their personal lives:
As a mother of two, Anne Marie is thriving in her role as Partner at KPMG.
When did you start working for KPMG and what do you do now?
I started at KPMG in London in 2006, in the Tax department, and switched to KPMG in Zurich in 2009.
I have been a Partner in the International Corporate Tax team since 2023, focusing primarily on tax accounting, meaning that I work closely with our Audit colleagues as a tax specialist on a range of Audit mandates alongside my ongoing consultancy mandates.
Who or what has given you particular support on your path?
I have always found the culture at KPMG to be challenging and supportive. On the one hand, there are clear structures that support employee paths – I would especially like to mention my Performance Managers over the years. On the other hand, a successful path also includes role models, mentors and – probably most importantly – a team that supports individual paths.
What is your management style?
As a manager, I feel it is very important that "leading by example" is not just an empty phrase. Hierarchy is important and provides structure, but I find it even more important that we act together as a team and support and challenge each other.
Above all, I aim to give team members responsibility so that they can develop and shape their own careers. At the same time, as a manager, it is just as important to me that I am there for the team and employees if they have questions or problems and that I support them as best I can.
Which career goals would you like to achieve?
My goal is always to develop myself personally and professionally. This is what motivates me in everyday life and what I have always valued in my career to date – a solid basis with specialist expertise but still having the opportunity to develop in new functions and through new tasks within the team and with clients.
I would like to continue on this path in the future, develop myself and KPMG as a company by continuing to take on leadership and responsibility.
How does KPMG help you combine your private and professional lives?
As a mother of two, I am very familiar with the daily challenge of balancing private and professional life. Of course, the success of this is up to each individual at the end of the day, but KPMG offers great conditions for taking on responsibility in the job and developing professionally while taking care of other priorities.
Here, too, the most important factor for me is the team culture and cooperation, but of course you can’t underestimate framework conditions such as remote working, our IT infrastructure and relatively flexible working hours.
What tips can you offer for successfully navigating the professional world?
Kevin works in the Accounting and Payroll Services department in Geneva. Thanks to KPMG’s flexibility, he can be efficient at work and then spend Fridays with his children.
What’s your role at KPMG?
I have been with KPMG since 2015. I started as a Consultant and am now an Assistant Manager in the APS (Accounting and Payroll Services) department in Geneva. We handle accounting and payroll services for both local and international clients.
How many children do you have and does your partner work as well?
We have a son named Brandon, who is three years old, and a newborn baby boy named Keano. My wife worked full time until the birth of our second child.
What does your flexible working arrangement look like?
I reduced my hours to 80% when my first child was born, while my wife continued to work full time. Friday is my non-working day. I use that day to spend quality time with my children.
These days have become such an important part of my wellbeing. We always try to plan something fun to do in advance. This includes various activities such as visiting the aquarium in Lausanne or attraction parks with bouncy castles, spending time in parks, going swimming in summer, or sledding in winter. We always have a wonderful and fun time together.
How does your flexible working arrangement help you with your role as father?
Daddy’s day breaks the routine. It gives me time that I otherwise wouldn’t have to nurture the relationship.
Someday he will be an independent person, but until then I want to support him as well as I can.
There’s nothing more valuable than spending time with someone you love, even just doing simple things like putting away the kitchen towels and Tupperware.
How does your flexible working arrangement help you with your role as father?
A close relationship with my children is very important to me. Thanks to KPMG’s flexibility, I can make the most of it.
What is your recipe for a well-balanced work-life?
Try to give 100% on the tasks that I am doing and try to be as efficient as possible. Exercise, get some fresh air and spend quality time with my loved ones, that’s my personal recipe.
Was there ever a critical moment when you had to prioritize family over work and how did your team support you in this specific moment?
During the Covid-19 pandemic, it was sometimes difficult as the daycare facility had to close for weeks at a time. So, we had to work from home while Brandon stayed with us. However, my team is very supportive and as most of us are parents too, we always have each other’s back.
What do you appreciate most about KPMGs flex work model?
Not being tied to set working hours is something I really appreciate about KPMG’s flexible working model. I also believe that this is going to be the future: Being able to work from any location and whenever needed. It breaks boundaries and allows me to spend precious time with my loved ones.
Nuray is currently in San Francisco, working as an Audit Manager for KPMG US. Find out what makes this experience so special.
What led you to pursue a secondment opportunity, Nuray?
I was excited to break away from my usual work routine and explore a new professional environment while staying within my passion for Audit. The secondment provided a chance to step out of my comfort zone and gain diverse experiences that fostered personal and professional growth.
Moreover, sharing this journey with my husband and two sons brought us all immense joy and wonder. We can experience this whole journey together. For example, during our three-week family trip to Northern California last summer, we visited breathtaking national parks like Yosemite and the Redwoods, as well as enjoyed a couple of days at Lake Tahoe. The stunning beauty of the national parks left us in awe.
Nuray, how long is your secondment in San Francisco and what is your role there?
My secondment began in October 2021 and will end in summer 2023. Throughout this period, I have been working as an Audit Manager and am responsible for managing and supervising external audit engagements, including Swiss component audits.
This involves planning and executing audits, closely monitoring the overall audit process and ensuring effective reporting and communication. It is my responsibility to ensure that the high standards are maintained and that our clients’ expectations are met.
What has been your most memorable experience during your time in San Francisco so far?
It's hard to choose just one memorable experience, as I've had many during my time in San Francisco. However, what has impressed me the most since day one is how open and accepting the people are here. It's been a pleasure working in such a diverse and dynamic environment, both on client sites and at KPMG.
One cherished memory is our trip to Hawaii, where we spent a week during the Thanksgiving break. Despite the five-hour flight from San Francisco, we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves on Oahu, exploring different areas across the island, basking in the beauty of its beaches and savoring some delicious poke bowls – a Hawaiian dish made of raw fish, seaweed, nuts and rice – which we have since adopted as a regular part of our meals in California.
What were some of the biggest challenges you faced while on secondment?
My biggest challenge was right at the beginning, as I started during the busy season and had to move my entire family with me. Adapting as a family takes time and one particular challenge that my family encountered was that my children did not speak any English when we moved to the Bay Area.
Despite this, my older son started kindergarten right away, which over here is significantly more focused on academics. Not only did he have to learn English, but he also had to master the alphabet, which was quite an undertaking for him. However, my son had caught up to his classmates in terms of language and literacy skills so fast that after just six months, he had become so proficient that he even began correcting my pronunciation, which was quite amusing.
Nuray, what key learnings will you take with you?
From a professional standpoint, I gained valuable experience in conducting and applying various audit approaches, and enhancing my documentation skills. However, the most significant learnings I took away from this secondment came from being immersed in a culturally-diverse environment. Witnessing people from all over the world living and working together in the Bay Area was truly inspiring and created a fantastic work atmosphere.
Up to this point, it has been and continues to be a unique experience that provides the opportunity to discover and adapt to new working and living environments – in my case, with my family alongside me. The benefits package that accompanies my secondment is invaluable.
Ersan enjoys the option of working from Germany which allows him to spend more time with his loved ones. At KPMG Switzerland, we are happy to meet our employees' desire for more flexibility around where they work.
How does KPMG enable you to be flexible?
KPMG is constantly evolving with the times and embraces change in finding new ways of working that empower us to be at our best.
The pandemic showed us that we don’t need to be tied to an office to work and that, with the right technology, we can continue working effectively as part of a team, wherever we happen to be.
Taking this concept to the next level, KPMG offers us the opportunity to work remotely for up to 10 days a year from a number of foreign countries.
What do you especially like about that?
Having the freedom to choose where I work allows me to spend precious time with my family in Germany. Instead of having to request days off to visit my family near Hanover as I did in the past, now I can easily do my job from my parents’ home.
Once I’ve signed off for the day, I can devote my full attention to my family and two nieces. Cooking meals together, taking walks, game nights and other activities on these special days are very important to the entire family. In this way I am easily able to balance my work and personal life while improving my sense of wellbeing.
It is not always easy to strike the right balance between work and personal life. What is your recipe for success?
Beyond career life, it’s important to find balance in your life. The time I spend with my family and two nieces is very important to me. We are all aware how time flies and how much stress our day-to-day work puts on us. It’s in stressful moments like those that I like to connect with my nieces, who are always smiling and in a good mood. Normally, I do that via video calls. Thanks to KPMG’s flexible working concept, I can do that at the end of my work day in person in Germany, too. ;)
This is one way to recharge my batteries so that I am able to keep my clients fully satisfied and create value.
What makes your job at KPMG so exciting?
Working as a tax consultant in Global Mobility Services (GMS), every day is different, which is what makes my profession so interesting.
Laws are constantly changing, and clients’ expectations when it comes to tax consulting are increasing, which offers the degree of variety I need and keeps me on the ball.
In addition to my work as a tax consultant, one of my roles is interfacing between my division and our own technology team. This is where I can apply my in-depth expertise to software solutions and process optimization, which ultimately contributes to the success of the teams.
Furthermore, how does KPMG support you to grow and succeed?
I have been with KPMG for 13 years now. From starting as a Consultant, I have grown into a Senior Manager today. Throughout the years, KPMG has always supported my personal and professional growth and even offers career opportunities across borders.
For example, I had the opportunity to leave my comfort zone and expand my skills and experience during two international assignments in the UK and Hungary.
