ACCOUNTING AND financial advisory firm LehmanBrown is ready to battle the Big Four in China. Knowing it must first attract professionals with international exposure and experience working with multinationals, the firm plans to find such recruits in Hong Kong.
A specialist in China business, LehmanBrown has offices in Beijing, Shanghai, Tianjin and Shenzhen, and has even extended its reach to Inner Mongolia.
Senior partner Dickson Leung, who is overseeing the China expansion, said the company planned to hire another 30 to 50 accountants this year to boost its workforce of 90 employees.
'We hope to have 200 people by the end of 2006,' said Mr Leung, who is based in Beijing. 'I come from Hong Kong myself, and I know the people there are admired for their diligence, intelligence and leadership ability, and would make good recruits.'
However, lacking the brand-name drawing power of a Big Four firm, LehmanBrown knows it must take an aggressive approach to fill these new positions. Mr Leung said tough competition for the best and brightest people in the sector meant the firm was willing to pay a premium salary to those who joined its ranks.
'We must be able to offer our clients the highest levels of service and expertise,' he said. 'We already have some well-known names on our client list, but we are also targeting small and medium-sized firms, and will offer them an alternative in China.'