PwC Experience in Auckland, New Zealand

The Process
I decided back in 2005, after I had graduated from PSU and finished a trip around the world, that I wanted to move to New Zealand some day. It was my favorite destination of my travels as I loved the country and the people. Once I became a senior associate at PwC, I began seriously considering a move as it would be good for me both personally and professionally. From a personal standpoint, I would get to go to country I always wanted to spend some time in, immerse myself in a different culture (although not nearly as different as Keith's Russian experience), meet new people, and see a unique and beautiful part of the world. From a professional standpoint, I would gain exposure to IFRS, learn about working with a variety of different people (New Zealand is very multi-cultural), and learn how to establish myself in an unfamiliar environment. Now I just had to figure out how to get half way around the world.

After talking with HR in Pittsburgh, I learned about a new program that they were rolling out in early 2008 called the EPIC Program. The previous link should take you to an informative page about the program. In short, it was developed specifically for people like me who wanted to embark on an international assignment prior to making manager with the firm. I think it was around January 2008 that I had made up my mind that I would apply for an international position. The EPIC Program's application form was not yet ready so I had to wait until April 2008 to apply. In the meantime, I met with one of the partners, my coaching manager, and HR to tell them of my interests and intentions. I had support from them all. The EPIC Program requires a partner to "sponsor" you - basically, they will help you with the application process, sign off as being supportive, and remain in contact with you throughout the assignment overseas.

The first step was to prepare a business case. This was where I listed the reasons as to why I should go (basically I listed the personal and professional reasons that I mention above with a bit more detail). After submitting the business case to Global Mobility and gaining approval, I was able to fill out the actual application. This was where I actually was able to list three different offices that I would be interested in going to. I listed Auckland as my first choice. I don't know how easy it is to get your first choice, but I had already contacted HR in Auckland and checked the global mobility site so I knew they had some openings. Within a couple weeks, I was contacted by HR in Auckland, and they set up a phone interview for me with a partner and senior manager from the Auckland office. My interview happened in late June. I found out about a week later that I had been accepted and a contract was mailed to me to begin in late August / early September. I don't know if it always happens this quickly so if you are interested, make sure to begin the process early. Most other secondees that I work with here in NZ had offers 6 months or so in advance, it just so happened that I was ready to go and they were ready for me.

The EPIC Program helps you through the moving process so if anyone is really interested and wants more of the specifics, feel free to post a comment and I'll answer, or send me an email at nate.t.smith@nz.pwc.com.



The Work
That's my office building in Auckland in the picture above. It's right on the water downtown with beautiful views of the harbor, North Shore, and a big volcano called Rangitoto. So, that's where I work when I'm not out at clients. The work here is similar in many ways but also very different. I could write a lot about this, but I'll try to stick to a few main points and either follow up in a later post or answer specific questions if you want to leave a comment.

Some of the major similarities are that we still use the same auditing program (currently MyClient but switching to Aura soon along with the U.S.), the local New Zealanders (or "Kiwis") speak some form of English although it takes some getting used to, the basic audit methodology is the same, teams seem to work in basically the same manner as back in the U.S. although are often smaller, and the camaraderie of the people is still great.

Some of the major differences are that they use IFRS as opposed to US GAAP, I work on many more engagements here than I did back home (10 or so here compared to 2-3 back home) as the clients are generally smaller, hours are generally a bit less but are busier, and the office is full of other secondees (from England, Ireland, Scotland, Netherlands, Vietnam, South Africa, France, Spain, etc.). The diversity of the office makes it very interesting and fun, and the expats tend to all want to go explore the country, so we spend a lot of weekends together traveling around. This is a really great aspect of working here.

The Country
Now I could write a million posts about how beautiful this country is. We have really nice beaches all over the place, mountains and volcanoes, rain forests, islands, caves and on and on. There is so much to do that I don't think my two year contract will even give me enough time to see it all. I've spent as many weekends and holidays as possible traveling around the north and south islands. I've done a lot of hiking, kayaking, driving, and flying around to see everything that there is to offer. I've even been assigned a client that I've spent 3 weeks in Samoa for so that was another added bonus.

One thing I've really noticed about the Kiwis is that they love the outdoors. People here get involved in all sorts of physical activities. I've joined a touch rugby team, dragonboat racing (sort of like a canoe with 20 people in it), netball team, and even run a half marathon since I've been here (something I thought I would never do). I love going hiking on a long weekend or even a regular one as there are many day-hikes in the area. They have all these treks called the "Great-Walks" that are multi-day hikes with cabins set up along the way that are really nice.

Anyway, I've been thoroughly enjoying my time here so far. I can't believe it's already been 8 months. Let me know if there is anything else you are curious about the EPIC Program, work in Auckland or at PwC in general, or just about New Zealand.

Me (on the right sporting my PSU shorts) with some fellow PwC secondees (Dutch, American, Irish, and Scottish) on top of Mt. Ngauruhoe which was Mt. Doom in Lord of the Rings

Me on top of a mountain while hiking the Routeburn Track on the South Island near Queenstown

Getting Involved in the Community

Community* Help. Inspire. Change.

PwC is a great supporter when it comes to getting involved with the community whether it is through office-sponsored community service events or an individual endeavor to better your community.

One prominent demonstration of this commitment is the Month of Community Service each year where the entire firm participates in multiple community service projects throughout the US. Individual offices take a day off to give back to their respective communities. Some past projects in the Pittsburgh area have revolved around landscaping and interacting with kids, though the project scopes are not limited to those areas. In addition to the day of community service by each office, PwC supports individual projects by providing its staff 10 hours of community service each year.

During my first year at PwC, I have already been able to contribute to the community in my own personal ways. This past fall, I had the opportunity to be an assistant coach for a high school soccer team. It was a large time commitment, but it was rewarding to serve as a mentor on and off the field for the student-athletes. I have recently signed on for another year of coaching for this upcoming season.

Additionally, I presented to the high school marketing and accounting students on opportunities in accounting, the current economic situation, as well as personal finance tips. While at the school, I was able to get the students involved in thinking about opportunities the lie ahead of them.

Many of us understand how privileged we have been, and we understand the importance of giving back to the communities we serve. Colleagues frequently send around additional opportunities to get involved from bowling to marathons to bike races, all supporting different causes. There are many great ways to get involved in the community.

Mark to Market Accounting

The controversy around mark to market accounting has been all over the news lately and everyone seems to have a different opinion. Some say that banks are being forced to write assets down to artificially low levels when they are really worth far more while others believe that mark to market accounting reflects the most accurate picture of the value of a company's assets. Throughout the media frenzy, the FASB has stood by mark to market accounting and the guidance of FAS 157, but were willing to draft additional guidance in the form of FAS 157 (e) which was released in early April. FAS 157 (e) gives additional guidance on what constitutes an illiquid market and a distressed sale transaction and provides company's with some flexibility and judgement in determining the valuation for assets that are determined to be in illiquid markets in which only distressed transactions are occurring. As a manager at PwC, I am constantly discussing FAS 157 and its impact with my clients and I would like to open this topic up to comments and discussion. I am very interested in hearing what students at PSU think about mark to market accounting and the impact that it has. Please post a comment by clicking the comments button at the bottom of this post, I look forward to hearing your ideas.

Summer Internship - Partner Shadowing

As a summer 2008 PwC intern, I was given the opportunity to work on a variety of projects with multiple teams on different clients. Working with my engagement teams gave me valuable insight as to what I will be doing when I start full-time with the firm as a new associate. What was great about the internship was that not only was I exposed to real work very similar to what I will be doing, but also I was able to take part in all of the activities available to us as interns that allowed us to have a better understanding of the firm and our future profession. One of these activities included shadowing a partner. Having this opportunity was one of my most memorable experiences over the summer. I was able to spend an entire day with a partner at the firm, which gave me a completely different perspective on auditing. I was really able to see how the work I was doing as an intern and the work that the partners do come together to complete the audit. It really proved to me that the work I was doing was important and gave me a great sense of accomplishment.

Moscow Blog - Introduction

As an introduction I'm Keith McMillen, and no, I did not know one word of Russian before my first visit to Moscow. I went to Penn State Behrend as an engineering major and graduated four years later with degrees in Accounting and Finance. I began working at PwC in July 2004 in the Pittsburgh office and currently work in the Moscow office of the Russian Firm. I will try to update this blog regularly and will respond to any questions left in the comments section candidly and honestly.

When I began working in the Pittsburgh office I had an opportunity to work on a mining client we have which has operations in Guinea, West Africa (a French speaking country - no, I don't speak French). The audit was an incredible experience in which I spent one month twice a year for four years working in Guinea. As a result of working in Guinea and spending time with expatriate employees from the United States, Quebec, France, Morocco, and South Africa I knew that at some point in my life I was going to work overseas as an "expat."

One of my managers from the mining client had moved to Moscow in August 2007 to begin a two year secondment. Some of the "Africa Guys" as we are often referred to decided to take a trip in the following summer to visit our friend in Moscow. We didn't think it would be likely we would ever visit Russia without knowing someone there so it was the perfect opportunity. Leading up to the trip I began asking the manager (at this point a senior manager in Moscow) how everything was going and the challenges and benefits of working in Moscow. I also started talking with HR and one of the partners I worked very closely with who I have always considered a mentor. When I visited my friend on a summer vacation with the "Africa Guys" an informal lunch was arranged for me to meet with two partners in the Moscow office followed up with introductions to some of the expats around the office. I got a great impression from everyone, and each person I talked to was brutally honest in describing the perks and drawbacks of working in Russia.

PwC has several programs, depending on staff level, for international opportunities. As an experienced senior associate (four years of experience) the EPIC (Early PricewaterhouseCoopers International Challenge) program was geared towards staff at my level. Under this program I have the benefit of returning to my home office in Pittsburgh once per year during my assignment to meet with my partner mentor and another return flight home to attend training with the US Firm (the US Firm covers these costs). I also signed a contract which guarantees my job upon my return to the United States at the completion of my contract in Russia.

The EPIC program allows staff to select preferences for where they would like their international assignment to be located. After discussions with my partner mentor and my friend/former manager in Moscow we all thought it would be best for me to give Moscow a try as I would know someone and I had already met several of the people in the office. As I had met with some of the partners while on my vacation I did not have to interview anymore, but a telephone interview with the foreign office is usually performed in order for a decision on that office hiring the staff.

In September 2008 I finally moved to Moscow to begin a two year assignment within the Energy, Utilities & Mining practice as an assistant manager. (In the Russian Firm, as with the rest of the Central and Eastern European (CEE) region, the staff level of assistant manager is the equivalent of an experienced senior associate in the US Firm.) In Russia all of our workpapers are completed in English and all staff must pass English exams for employment. There are often several client contacts who also speak English, and for international companies a significant amount of their documents are maintained in English and Russian.

Everyday in Moscow brings a new challenge, an interesting story, and a rewarding experience. I hope to share all of these with you and answer any questions you may have. Auditing may not be the most exciting job in the world but it has provided me with more opportunities than I ever could have imagined and everyday I'm glad I chose to work at PwC.

Upcoming blog entries:

• Working in PwC Moscow vs. PwC Pittsburgh

• Business trips throughout Moscow

• Networking with other expats within PwC

• Social (Night) Life, PG-13 version

An International Experience

It all started during my time at Penn State over three years ago. Being fortunate enough to land an internship with PwC in the Pittsburgh office in the assurance practice and then full-time employment following graduation, I journeyed through my senior year looking forward to graduation and the commencement of my career. Throughout the year, I continued networking with several PwC professionals around the region as they visited Penn State for recruiting events through my involvement in Beta Alpha Psi. Two such alums, from PwC-Pittsburgh, approached me with an interesting proposition - the chance to travel to Guinea, West Africa for two months during the year to perform a financial statement audit for a client in the Pittsburgh office! Many thoughts jogged through my head during this time. Would it be safe? What would it be like? Would I miss the luxuries of home? After careful consideration, open communication lines and a little persuasion by my friends and the PwC staff I accepted the opportunity of a lifetime.

In November 2006, as part of a group of six PwC professionals, I left Pittsburgh headed to Paris, France were we met up with a colleague from PwC-Montreal. This would only be my second time outside the United States besides small trips into Canada. As it was and still is a fall trip tradition, our team used a week of personal vacation time to tour Budapest, Hungary and Vienna, Austria before commencing our work in Guinea. During this time I bonded with my colleagues as they quickly became some of my closest friends in the firm. Finally after a little fun and sightseeing we headed into Guinea.

We flew into Conakry, the capital city of Guinea. From here we had to fly on a small turboprop owned by the client to Kamsar an hour north of Conakry by air. What an experience! The poverty in this part of the world was unlike anything I had ever experienced before and is truly indescribable. The three weeks I spent there that first trip plus three more trips of a month each over the next year and a half would prove to be one of the most memorable experiences in my life. I met PwC professionals from Montreal, Canada and Conakry, Guinea. My client contacts consisted of individuals from Canada, France, Morocco, Tunisia, and South Africa who all had varying backgrounds and perspectives. What a truly Unique People Experience!

Although not the norm for first or second year associates within PwC, my international experience was the building block of my career with the firm. Similar opportunities have occurred for other individuals over the past few years. One of my closest friends in my start class spent a few weeks in Slovakia as part of PwC exchange program for his multinational client. Other professionals in my office have spent time in England, India, Italy, Brazil and many more far reaching locations within the global economy. One of my colleagues who I traveled with to Guinea and who started with the firm almost five years ago recently started a two year rotation in the Energy and Mining Group in PwC-Moscow! I talk with him on a regular basis through our internal instant messenger program to see what life and work is like in Russia.

At PricewaterhouseCoopers professionals from all lines of service are able to seek opportunities to rotate temporarily within the global network of PwC firms, usually in two to three year segments. The Early PwC International Challenge (EPIC) offers high performing professionals the chance to complete an international rotation early on in their career. The program presents our staff the chance to acquire and expand critical skills that will help them to succeed in a truly global firm while experiencing a new culture, making new friends and enjoying new life challenges. Those in the higher levels of management also participate in rotational programs. Several senior managers and partners from the Pittsburgh recently completed or started their international experience in places such as Russia, Budapest, Prague, and Germany.

We hope this attitude and approach to the global economy aligns with your professional and personal goals. Check out more about what PricewaterhouseCoopers has to offer at www.pwc.tv