Dubai, UAE: KPMG Lower Gulf (LG), comprising the UAE and Oman, today announces the appointment of Emilio Pera as the company’s next Chief Executive Officer, effective 1 January 2023.  He takes over from Nader Haffar who resigned from the Company after five years as Chairman and Chief Executive. Mr. Haffar will remain in office until 31 December 2022 to ensure continuity for KPMG’s clients and people and support a smooth transition over this period.

Mr. Pera was elected through a rigorous process, run by an Independent Governance Committee of the KPMG Lower Gulf Board advised by Freshfields Bruckhaus Deringer, a leading international law firm, which culminated in a vote undertaken by the firm’s Capital Partners.

Mr. Pera, who brings over 30 years of professional services and international business experience, is currently KPMG LG’s Acting Head of Tax. He was previously the Head of Audit and has been with the firm since 2016. As Head of Audit, he embarked on a significant transformation of the business. He turned the audit practice around in a relatively short period, navigating some of the toughest times in the industry with added pressure of a global pandemic with related economic challenges. He was also the Lead Audit Partner on some of the firm’s largest public and private audit clients across the UAE and Oman. As the Acting Head of Tax, Mr. Pera was instrumental in scaling the business to align with current market trends and improve profitability which resulted in the Tax practice exceeding October FY23 targets.

Emilio Pera, CEO-elect, said: “KPMG Lower Gulf has experienced tremendous growth and transformation over the past five years. Our impressive list of clients is testament to the trust they place in the KPMG brand. We continue to strive towards being the most trusted and trustworthy firm of choice for our clients and are proud to provide the largest private companies, public sector entities and governmental bodies across the UAE and Oman with Audit, Tax and Advisory solutions. With our significant investments in our people, infrastructure and technology our highly skilled team of experts are well-prepared to meet the region’s increasing need for high quality services.

 “I am honoured to have been elected to the post of Chief Executive and I am thankful to my colleagues for the trust they have placed in me.  I am deeply grateful to Nader for guiding the firm through some of the toughest economic periods including the COVID pandemic, and always putting our people first. I look forward to working with Nader over the next few weeks to affect a smooth transition and build on his achievements. I will be working closely with my fellow Partners and KPMG International to continue our journey of growth in this new chapter. The future is bright, and I have no doubt that we at KPMG will continue to always inspire confidence and empower change.”

Nader Haffar, Chairman and Chief Executive Officer, KPMG Lower Gulf, said: “I would like to congratulate Emilio on his election as CEO.  He is a highly respected KPMG professional, and I am confident that his leadership will enable KPMG Lower Gulf to continue its record of strong performance and growth.”