Jonathan Dingli and Clifford Delia have known each other on a personal basis for so long that they are lucky enough to call each other friends apart from colleagues. Together, they lead one of the busiest units within KPMG Malta, after two formerly separate units were merged together, to create more efficient synergies and a superior service to clients.
Counting over 50 dedicated professionals, possessing a wide and diverse skill set, the Corporate Accounting Advisory Services unit within KPMG Malta provides a wide range of specialised services to clients in all sectors of the economy.
“We are lucky enough to go back quite a bit,” says Dingli. “Our families are friends, and our lives appear to have followed similar paths that have brought us to this point,” Delia continues.
An accountant by profession, Dingli discovered his passion for financial reporting early on in his career – specialising greatly in the field, up to achieving a PhD in the subject recently.
Long harbouring an interest in financial services, his experience at KPMG goes back to 2002 when he worked in audit, both locally as well as in Ireland.
Back in Malta, during his tenure at the Malta Institute of Accountants, he was the catalyst for Malta to create its first local accounting standard.
Delia joined KPMG in 2004, working in all the functions of the Big Four firm, both locally as well as abroad. His drive to stay ahead of the curve led him to venture into IT and eventually specialise in other areas related to financial reporting, VAT and taxation across different sectors.
As client needs evolve with each year that passes, it was only natural for the two previously separate units to gravitate towards each other and merge.
“In an advanced economy, company needs are becoming more and more complex, and in order to remain relevant and offer a superior quality service, we continuously need more varied quotients of intelligence,” Jonathan says when explaining the thought process behind the creation of the unit. “That is why we saw an opportunity to work even closer than before, bringing together our two teams to collaborate as one. This meant that we could maximise the resources available, building on our strengths for the benefit of our clients,” Delia continues.
The unit will typically assist businesses of all sizes. From large businesses in their most complex transactions, to all other smaller sized enterprises, requiring expert assistance to stay on top of things. In fact, the unit aids with most client needs when related to accounts and finance, as it encompasses both regular and run of the mill services, as well as one-off special projects the client may need.
“As far as day-to-day services, we offer a complete suite of services to support domestic businesses such as payroll support, leave management, VAT compliance, VAT Health checks and Company Law compliance. These tasks can weigh rather heavily on the minds of businesses who might not be geared to take care of them,” Delia explains.
“Similarly, through Management Accounting we help businesses at certain stages during the year when they would need specialised help. In fact, here we provide Bookkeeping and Accounts Preparation, Compilation of Periodic Financial Reports, Projections and Statistical Reporting, Virtual Collaboration and Co-Sourcing, and in some cases we can also coordinate the secondment of Accounting Staff to the actual company when needed,” Dingli expounds.
“Financial Reporting makes sure that our clients are in a healthy reporting status, and no surprises are hiding down the road. Here we offer end-to-end preparation of statements that cover quality reviews for accounting or regulatory compliance, compilation of management accounting ahead of audits as well as support provided during the audit process itself,” Delia notes.
“And finally, we also offer Accounting Advisory which is more specialised an area, as it can assist a company’s financial and accounting needs at a higher more complex level. In fact, with our vast experience and our specialised teams, we can provide assistance directly to a CFO who might need additional help in reaching their goals. We can even provide advisory when it comes to Finance Function Transformation as well as the preparation of Accounting Technical Papers. Furthermore, we have just launched a very innovative IFRS centric tool, called the Digital Accounting Manual, which helps clients comply with IFRS in a collaborative manner,” Dingli illustrates.
“Through this wide-ranging service offering, we can help businesses stay ahead of the curve, and never worry about their accounting needs. We make it our mission to take the pressure off of such requirements, and let companies do what they do best – which is grow their business further,” Delia and Dingli conclude.
For more information, contact Clifford Delia on clifforddelia@kpmg.com.mt and Jonathan Dingli on jonathandingli@kpmg.com.mt.