PwC partner and department chief resigns

PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) Romania’s head of the tax advisory services department and partner within the management of the company, Ron Barden, has left after nine years, a period during which he built up the customer portfolio of this market leader.

Ron Barden intends to take a six-month break before making a comeback in the industry, which is most likely to see him returning to the Romanian market. “Personal reasons currently prevent me from operating at full capacity. In the next six months I will make a final decision about what I am to do next,” Ron Barden told Ziarul Financiar.

The former PwC tax partner also says he will remain involved in the Romanian business environment, as a member of the Foreign Investors Council and of AmCham. After taking time out from the professional arena he hopes to choose a company that could benefit from his experience as a tax advisor.

His resignation, which was officially confirmed on Monday by PwC, comes in the wake of some important changes in the company’s top management, including the replacement of its chief with a Romanian. However, he says that his departure has nothing to do with these managerial changes.

Earlier this month the position of Territorial Senior Partner was taken over by Vasile Iuga, previously a Partner and chief of the audit and business advisory services department.

The founder of the PwC office in Romania, Jean-Pierre Vigroux, has ended a 13-year term, continuing to work within the group as a Senior Partner for PwC Southeast Europe.

At the same time, David Fuller (audit and advisory services), Mihaela Mitroi (tax advisory services) and Alexandru Lupea (audit and business advisory services), have been promoted as partners.

Ron Barden continued in his previous position before quitting shortly after the implementation of the above-mentioned changes.