It doesn't get more global
Interview with Erik van Os, Country Head Germany and Gianfranco Maraffio, Board Member of TMF Deutschland AG
TMF Group offers its management, accounting, and payroll services in over 80 countries, providing customers with comprehensive geographic support. Erik van Os and Gianfranco Maraffio, board members of TMF Deutschland AG, spoke with Wirtschaftsforum about the unique aspects of their company.
Wirtschaftsforum: What personally fascinates both of you about TMF?
Erik van Os: I have been working for this company – on and off – since 2007: The strong international orientation has fascinated me from day one. I originally practiced as a lawyer, a profession that due to licensing regulations is strongly tied to a specific country. However, I wanted to move a bit more freely through the world, and TMF gave me the opportunity to contribute with my knowledge and skills. A degree in law or business, however, is not a prerequisite for us: Our employees come from the most diverse backgrounds, including historians or sociologists. It is precisely because of this that we have incredibly exciting exchanges!
Gianfranco Maraffio: In addition to positive customer feedback, I am particularly happy to see my colleagues grow professionally and personally: Many of our department heads started at TMF in junior roles and have gradually developed into leadership positions – it's an incredibly good feeling to be a part of that!
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. van Os, TMF Group offers management, accounting, payroll, and similar services to both corporations and special-purpose entities in over 80 countries. What sets your group apart in the competition?
Erik van Os: Our particularly strong international footprint is certainly an important unique selling point: customers who operate transnationally in many different markets can be fairly certain that TMF is also present there and can support them accordingly. For instance, if a fund wants to invest in real estate through legally independent entities in two dozen countries via a Luxembourg holding company, we are happy to bring in our extensive expertise in auditing, reporting, and all related fields.
Wirtschaftsforum: Mr. Maraffio, how significantly is this business area being changed by the rapid technological advancement surrounding AI?
Gianfranco Maraffio: It greatly depends on the specific issues and also on the individual markets. In Germany, for example, we were able to advance the automation and standardization of certain processes quite extensively – but that doesn't change the fact that the comprehensive expertise and the discerning eye of our specialists are and will remain indispensable. At the end of the day, after all, we are not selling our clients just a single tool, but our broad and profound knowledge: For instance, if a German company wishes to hire a specialist from Spain, our payroll experts immediately have all potential pitfalls on their radar and can offer our clients targeted advice. Ultimately, we don't just mindlessly process some data without much thought; rather, we employ experts who understand their respective fields deeply and, thanks to TMF's close global networking, arrive at robust results in interdisciplinary teams even for the most complex issues.