Multiple firms across the MGI Worldwide network benefit from increased business opportunity thanks to the success of a German and US-based collaboration
Winning and retaining a large contract from a global corporate is increasingly challenging, particularly for small to medium sized accounting firms trying to compete for business alongside other larger firms and where the Big Four have more resources at their disposal, but MGI member firms, working jointly between Germany, US, Czech Republic, Austria, Belgium and France prove otherwise.
Back in 2014 Alexander Leoff from member firm Votum AG based in Frankfurt, Germany and Joe Meyer from Selden Fox, Ltd. based in Chicago, USA, decided to use membership of MGI Worldwide to their advantage when they successfully pitched and won a significant piece of cross border business for a publicly listed global international. At the time the client, a global premium service provider for packaging and related services had near to 3,000 employees across 10 countries.
“It all started with an active search for new opportunities in our local market here in Frankfurt. I wanted to grow our firm by securing more business, both nationally and internationally,” says Alex Leoff.
From Germany and the US to Czech Republic, Austria and finally Belgium and France
Over the last four years, the success of this collaboration and strength of the relationship and trust gained among the local management teams over that time, has led to further business opportunity for audit and due diligence related work for other MGI member firms, including LTA Tax s.r.o. in Prague, Czech Republic; Steirer Mika & Co. in Vienna, Austria; Van Herck & Co. in Antwerp, Belgium and FCN in Paris, France.
Alex goes on to say, “The special thing about this is that we have managed to successfully pitch a cross border job with the support of many different MGI members across other territories when the client thought they could only work with a Big Four firm.
“We did such a good job in securing the relationship, that the success of this collaboration, has built trust with the client and become a springboard for others to follow.”
Work extends to Belgium and France
With international projects and a network of subsidiaries around the world, there are further opportunities to establish relationships and work more closely across other territories and one example of this is in Belgium. To extend the Belgium business, the client acquired a competitor in Belgium consisting of several companies, based in Belgium, Germany and France.
Philippe Boesmans from member firm Van Herck & Co., Belgium, explains, “The opportunity for us to work with the Belgium group of companies would have not transpired had it not been for the great job our fellow MGI colleagues had done in Germany, US, Czech Republic and Austria to instil confidence in MGI.”
From Belgium comes France where further auditing services arise and to which long-term MGI member Stéphane Loubieres from FCN in France will collaborate alongside Alex and Philippe.
Download the full member case study HERE
For further information, contact Alexander Leoff [email protected] or visit Votum AG’s MGI Worldwide members profile page HERE
MGI Worldwide is a top 20 ranked international accounting network with some 5,000 independent auditors, accountants and tax experts in over 260 locations around the world.