The Malta Independent on Sunday
Mazars Global CEO Hervé Hélias named Chairman of the Board
● Addressing industry challenges, Mazars’ new Chairman ● Calls for greater transparency and responsibility in the sector
Mazars, an international, integrated and independent audit and consulting firm specialising in audit, accountancy, tax, legal and advisory services, has announced the effective transition of Hervé Hélias to the role of Global Chairman of the Board. Hélias was appointed Group CEO in 2016 and is now succeeding Philippe Castagnac, who has successfully held the post of Executive Chairman for the past seven years and the post of Group CEO from 2011 to 2016.
Hélias brings more than 30 years’ experience of audit and advisory services. As signing partner for some of Mazars’ largest clients, including BNP Paribas from 2000 to 2009, he has served as the leader of the audit service line, Global Business Unit PIE, as well as Managing Partner of Mazars in France, combined with the role of Group coCEO since 2012.
“We are delighted that Hervé is stepping up as Mazars Chairman of the Board during this period of exciting growth for Mazars,” said Castagnac. “Hervé and I have been close partners for years to make Mazars the unique global and independent player it is today. Together with Mazars’ global leadership team, I am fully confident that he will successfully take the firm to the next level, building on Mazars’ heritage of independence, long-term vision and excellence. Thank to our close collaboration over the years, we anticipate a smooth, organised handover.”
For the past 75 years, Mazars has experienced continuous, uninterrupted growth, which it credits to its unique, integrated model. The firm, which began as a neighbourhood book-keeper’s office in Rouen in 1945, has now become a recognised and respected international player, with nearly 23,000 people in 89 countries and territories, without ever losing its values or compromising its founding principles.
“Under the guidance of its founder, Robert Mazars, our firm grew into a well-established audit and accounting specialist in France. Patrick de Cambourg’s vision and leadership turned Mazars into a fully-fledged continental challenger, with offices in most European countries and, in the last 15 years, we have gone beyond Europe and developed our business in Asia, Africa and North and South America”, said Castagnac.
Against a backdrop of unprecedented change, Mazars’ is accelerating its own transformation to better help business leaders confidently navigate a confluence of regulatory reforms, digital disruption and geopolitical volatility – all putting enormous pressure and complexity on how organisations achieve compliance, performance and sustainability.
“When I joined Mazars 30 years ago, my decision was driven by Mazars’ values, which are reflected in our integrated model that offers a unique perspective to our clients, our employees and our shareholders. Building on Philippe Castagnac’s legacy, Mazars will continue innovating every day to integrate analytical and digital capabilities, cultivating our multidisciplinary and balanced model, based on integration and inclusion. We will continue to create new professions empowered by technology, while ensuring we maintain personal relationships and the utmost attention in order to deliver top quality to our clients,” said Hélias.
Reflecting on the current industry challenges, he added: “Our sector suffers from unprecedented distrust, and it is our collective mission to ensure that confidence in our industry remains intact. As one Mazars around the globe, reflective of our ‘business for good’ vision, our contribution will be to ensure that all our stakeholders – from clients and colleagues to regulators and the public – benefit from our state-of-the-art practices, independent perspective and values-driven culture.”
This move marks the third transfer of power since Mazars’ founding and comes at a time when the firm’s global expansion is accelerating.