PHILIPSBURG--New Associate Partner at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) St. Maarten Paul van Vliet is excited about his new position in the company.

 

Continuity, loyalty and mutual understanding are key words for Van Vliet as he takes up his new post as of July 1. When asked about his vision for the future for PwC, he said the way to success is investing in relationships with people and clients. This relationship has to be based on mutual respect.

 

Van Vliet is qualified when it comes to this field. He studied “Hoofdcontroleur” (Head controller) with the tax authorities in the Netherlands. Back in the eighties they were recruiting for this position. He was selected for this study as one of the 100 candidates out of 3,500 participants. He moved to St. Maarten in 1988 and started working for PwC St. Maarten, at that time known as Dijker Caribbean, on July 1, 1988. He lived through a couple of mergers before the offices became PwC in 1998.

 

In a joint effort with outgoing Partner Cees Rokx, Van Vliet built PwC’s St. Maarten office to what it is today, the company said. “He took over the role of Practice Leader when Rokx left for Curaçao in 2003 and was appointed Tax Director in 2004.”

 

“What started out as a one-man tax show has now grown into a tax practice of six people and a successful St. Maarten office of 25 colleagues in total, headed by Paul, Petra Pupping and Herbert Beldman.”

 

The company said Van Vliet has local and international experience in the field of tax. “He has a broad knowledge of business and is widely educated. Paul brings high quality service and mutual respect to the table. Investing in relationships with people and clients is key in this. He is proud to share that his very first client at PwC is still a customer. In the meantime they also became friends.”

 

Outside of PwC, Van Vliet is very involved in the St. Maarten community. He has been a board member of the St. Maarten Hospitality and Trade Association (SHTA) for many years; is board member of the White and Yellow Cross (WYC) Foundation and a substitute member of the Social Economic Council of St. Maarten SER. He is also treasurer of the Confrérie de la Chaîne des Rôtisseurs (the oldest and largest food and wine society in the world) in St. Maarten. Van Vliet is a passionate sailor and participates frequently in regattas.

 

The Daily Herald