Interview with Dezan Shira & Associates Ltd

In an Interview with Kristine Horbach, German Desk

1.     In which market(s) does your company operate? What products / services does if offer?
Dezan Shira & Associates is a specialist foreign direct investment practice with a pan-Asian presence. Since its establishment in 1992, the firm has grown into one of Asia's most versatile full-service consultancies with operational offices across China, Hong Kong, India, Singapore and Vietnam, Dezan Shira Asian Alliance member-firms in Indonesia, Malaysia, Philippines and Thailand, as well as liaison offices in the United States, Italy and Germany.

Besides private owned companies, multinationals and branches of publicly listed companies Dezan Shira & Associates mainly advises small and medium-sized enterprises from different industries, ranging from automotive, construction, retail and wholesale, e-commerce, import-export business, IT and Communications, textile as well as the service industry.

Dezan Shira & Associates is one of the very few firms able to provide a spread of local, Asian and global expertise. This ranges from advising on country operational comparisons, including pan-Asian regulatory, tax and labour comparisons, in addition to advising on the strategic use of bilateral and multilateral tax and free trade agreements. It also advises and services clients requiring pan-Asian treasury and payroll management structures. At a local level, Dezan Shira & Associates provides due diligence, tax and business advisory, corporate establishment, compliance advisory, accounting, financial review services and audit capabilities to multinationals investing in each of the countries where it operates.

2.     How long has your company been active in China? In which locations in China is it currently active?
Dezan Shira & Asscoiates has been providing state of the art service to foreign SMEs operating in China for over 20 years. The firm has offices situated in prime locations in Beijing, Shanghai, Shenzhen and Hong Kong. To fulfill clients’ needs and provide face-to-face advisory, Dezan Shira & Associates also maintains offices in Tier-2 cities, which have become increasingly more important for foreign SMEs over the last years. You can find branches of the firm in Hangzhou, Dalian, Qingdao, Suzhou, Zhongshan, Ningbo and Tianjin.

3.     Why is your company also an attractive employer in Greater China?
The large number of locations within China and Asia enables an international working environment in the region beyond one’s own office location. The combination of tax and legal topics with local business practices fosters finding solutions to complex issues for foreign companies in the region. The innovative marketing shows the impact of content on businesses at the other end of the world and encourages everyone to contribute actively to its development.

4.    What skills are you looking for in a candidate for your China business?
We are looking for candidates with a background in law, business and marketing who also have strong writing skills. The ideal candidate has a firm affinity for China and Asia and may already have gathered experience locally.

5.     Why are candidates with an EU-China background especially interesting for your company?
Due to our large European customer base, we prefer candidates with a similar background. Mastering a European language and an understanding of the European culture is essential for the company’s marketing and the contact with clients. Since North and South America, the Middle East, India, Australia and New Zealand also dominate our diverse customer base, we do not exclude candidates with different backgrounds.