PWC combines regional units for efficiency

PWC’S Prasan Chuaphanich says the internal merger will create a bigger resource-sharing pool and help clients who operate in numerous industries and across countries.

After merging its Thailand office with other Indochina offices last year, PricewaterhouseCoopers Mekong has moved on to combine its Malaysian unit into its operations, which is now known as PricewaterhouseCoopers Southeast Asian Peninsula Region, effective from the beginning of this month.

The result has been that the size of the company has doubled and the headcount has gone up to about 3,200 people. Managed through a four-member leadership team, PricewaterhouseCoopers Southeast Asian Peninsula Region covers 14 offices in five countries, namely Malaysia, Thailand, Vietnam, Cambodia and Laos.

PricewaterhouseCoopers Southeast Asian Peninsula Region joint executive chairman and assurance leader Prasan Chuaphanich said the main objective of this internal merger is to serve its clients better.

"We can serve clients more efficiently.  Previously, a client with operations in many countries would have to talk with our executives in all those countries. But now, the client can can have a single point of contact for all the countries he has operations in and we will handle cross-border communication for them," he said.

The transition from Pricewater-houseCoopers Mekong into PricewaterhouseCoopers Southeast Asian Peninsula, as it is called internally, is expected to enhance efficiency while providing greater opportunity to its workforce, he said.

"Because our clients are in numerous industries, having a bigger resource-sharing pool will be to their benefit," he said.

"We will continue to work as we always have done locally, but we now know that we can get regional support when necessary."

PwC's Southeast Asia leadership team comprises a chief executive who is based in Malaysia, a chief operating officer who is based in Vietnam, and Prasan and another joint executive chairman in Malaysia. Their meetings will be rotated depending on events and topics. Staff will continue to be based in their home countries, although resources sharing among units in the Southeast Asian countries is set to increase.

Providing greater challenges and work opportunities for their staff is part of PwC's objectives, and as Prasan rightfully points out, nothing is more valuable to PwC than its people. He said surveys reveal that PwC's ratings as one of the best employers have kept rising and is among the most sought after places to work.

PwC is one of the world's largest professional services companies with aggregated worldwide revenues of US$25 billion (Bt838.36 billion) for the last fiscal.

At a glance

-- The internal merger has resulted in a company double the earlier size and headcount has risen to about 3,200.

-- The company will be managed by a four-member team and most of the staff will continue in their home countries.

-- PwC expects to serve its clients better, especially those with operations in many countries in the region.