Jean-Claude Lucius (Baker Tilly Luxembourg) : Global Reach with a Local Focus

Can you describe your company in a few words?

With more than 50 years of existence, we can truly say that our company is deeply anchored in the Luxembourg economic landscape, but that it has also experienced strong international development for many years. We have been steadily growing for years, without any external mergers or acquisitions, and today we have nearly 140 employees in Luxembourg. Our Baker Tilly global network counts more than 40,000 employees spread over the five continents, on whom we can rely to help our clients develop internationally. The Baker Tilly network is the 9th largest international network in audit and consulting firms. Here in Luxembourg, we offer a complete "one stop shop" solution for accounting, tax advisory, corporate services, audit, payroll & HR, etc. We are particularly active in the real estate sector (private equity real estate and property development). Our German speaking clients also appreciate the fact that we offer them a German Desk.

"A business partner more than a simple external service provider"

How are your clients' needs evolving?

We can say that our clients need more and more assistance and advice in order to pursue their development in a regulatory and legislative environment that is constantly and rapidly changing. Beyond the raw figures we produce, what they expect from us is the related analysis we will provide. What can we advise them on their of debt to equity ratio, whether their working capital sufficient, whether the payment period of their customers seems appropriate or if should they be vigilant and follow up on time, etc. To sum up, we are no longer just an accounting and audit firm, but we have become over the years a real business partner for our clients. Whether it is for our historical clients such as Luxembourg SMEs, or for foreign financial companies / investment funds operating in Europe from Luxembourg.

What risks and opportunities do you identify?

The greatest challenge today is to deal with the unpredictability of economic and geopolitical contexts. All the market players must also adapt quickly to the increasingly complex European regulations. On the other hand, we could say that these complex situations lead us to closely work with our clients on a wider range of subjects, helping them to anticipate legislative changes, advising them in the evolution of their structure, and ultimately to improve their management and profitability. This naturally leads us to strengthen the business relationship with our clients to get through these uncertain times.