KPMG in Qatar brings in Swiss native Barbara Henzen to head up its tax division

KPMG in Qatar has appointed ex-EY international tax veteran Barbara Henzen as its new head of Tax and Corporate Services, with Henzen relocating from her native Switzerland.

After a combined thirteen-plus years as a tax advisor with EY in Switzerland, Barbara Henzen will now shift to the Qatari branch of Big Four rival KPMG to head up the local arm’s Tax and Corporate Services practice, bringing with her more than an overall 20 years of worth of experience in international and national tax law.

The senior tax advisor, who most recently served as a partner and indirect tax leader with EY’s Swiss office (the first big advisory branch worldwide to accept payment for services in bitcoin), first joined the firm in its Berne office for a six month stint in 2002 – before returning in 2005. Previously, Henzen spent four years as a tax advisor with Arthur Andersen.

“I am delighted that Barbara has joined us, bringing a wealth of experience to our clients in Qatar,” said Ahmed Abu-Sharkh, Country Senior Partner for KPMG in Qatar. “We continue to invest heavily in our Tax and Corporate Services offering, bringing on board talented senior professionals to strengthen the team.”An author of various tax publications and regular speaker, Henzen has for the most part of her career focused on indirect tax law, delivering and managing tax projects for multinational clients and tax litigation, as well as leading many tax engagements across various sectors covering VAT implementation, structuring, registration and compliance.

KPMG in Qatar meanwhile continues to grow, with over 250 partners and professionals across its audit, tax, and advisory lines – including representatives from some 28 and possibly now 29 countries. Henzen said of her geographic and employer switch; “Qatar is a great country with tremendous business opportunities. I am pleased to have joined KPMG in Qatar to support the country’s businesses and organisations, and our staff.”

Late last year, KMPG in Qatar appointed Kenan Nouwailati as its Head of Management Consulting, while the Big Four firm’s Saudi Arabian branch this month promoted Ismail Alani to Head of Public Sector. While Henzen will be the firm’s sole current female leader in Qatar, KPMG is a dedicated promoter of diversity, and is committed to increasing its women in leadership roles across the globe.