Manuel about his client work

What does your client portfolio look like?

I work in Audit Financial Services, therefore my clients are 60% real estate funds, 20% banks and private banks, 10% foundations, and 10% private asset managers. With this diversified portfolio, I work with many interesting clients in various segments of the financial sector. Some clients outsource bookkeeping to a fiduciary, whereas real estate funds have their own accountant. This means that it’s possible for me to work with multiple parties at the same time for the same client.

Could you describe your client work and who you are working with? Are you often in contact with C-level?

As an Associate, I’m involved in substantive testing during my audits: taking samples and communicating with people on the client side on a day-to-day basis. I spend a lot of time on site at the client’s premises to understand their processes and financial controls in place and I am often in contact with management and C-level. This gives me the deep look behind the scenes of a company only an auditor receives. 

What is important to you in your client work?

Personal exchange. It makes the audit more pleasant, efficient, and less stressful. Having a good kick-off meeting with the client is also essential. It saves a lot of time and effort, and you learn where to look closer and how to set priorities. Having a contact person at PwC, which we call a Buddy, helps me stay on the right track and not lose time on basic issues. Your Buddy has a similar portfolio as you and can help you with questions or problems that arise.

And what are your highlights and challenges?

There are many highlights. Having the chance to bring in my own ideas, solutions and recommendations makes me feel important and, at the same time, enables me to have a direct positive impact on how well we as an audit team perform. Exchanging with my PwC colleagues and different clients gives me the opportunity to acquire a multi-perspective view of the banking sector. Most daily tasks are learning-by-doing, and the steep learning curve keeps me motivated. As does gaining real world business and audit experience while earning a Swiss CPA. 

After I graduated from university, at first it was a challenge for me to grasp the audit profession. After finishing my studies with a major in Banking & Finance, I had all the skills and knowledge needed to perform well as an auditor. However, I realised that auditing requires much more, and after learning how to combine the knowledge I acquired during my studies with the respective technical and soft skills of an auditor, my job became much more fulfilling.

To what extent is ESG part of your work?

Many clients ask us for support in this area and want to learn how to set up their internal control system to obtain reliable ESG metrics as they will be legally obliged to publish these numbers in two or three years. In addition to auditing the financial statements in annual reports, we will also ensure reliable ESG metrics. At PwC, we highly support this shift of priorities. We are committed to net zero by 2030, and we try to enable our clients to change for the better. This way, we maximise our positive impact on climate and on people, and this positive mindset drives our daily work.