Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu turns its focus to mainland client base growth

Deloitte Touche Tohmatsu, one of the Big Four accountancy firms in the mainland, is putting more focus on increasing its domestic mainland client base, which it believes to be the driving force of its future growth.

Peter Bowie, chief executive of Deloitte's mainland and Hong Kong businesses, said in Beijing recently that the company had set a target four years ago to increase its exposure in the mainland markets.

'We have achieved the goal now that we have 40 per cent of our businesses from local firms, up from 25 per cent four years ago.' Mr Bowie said.

'The turnover from multinational clients represented about 75 per cent of our total; it is now 60 per cent.'

Deloitte's merger of mainland accounting firm Pan China last year helped to drive that change as the deal brought in local accountants and their clients, he said.

Mr Bowie said the firm would recruit more people this year to expand its headcount to 8,000 in the mainland and Hong Kong to 10,000 in 2010 from the present 6,300.

The expansion in staff numbers is aimed at helping to sustain turnover that grew 20 per cent in Hong Kong last year. Growth is expected to continue strongly as the economy is doing well.