PwC Marks 20th Anniversary of Operations in Croatia

The consulting company PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC) celebrated today its 20th anniversary of operations in Croatia. The CEO of PwC and one of the co-founders of the Croatian office, John Gašparac, recounted how PwC’s beginnings in Zagreb unfolded.

– The story is even older than 20 years. It started in 1993 in Vancouver, due to Tanja Rukavina who went to the Budapest office with a vision of opening PwC in Croatia. That was when the first Croatian projects led from Hungary began, and in 1997 we opened an office together, quickly joined by the Engineering Bureau, then came the merger of Pricewaterhouse and Coopers, and in 2013, Hrvoje Zgombić, Siniša Dušić, and Hrvoje Jelić joined us. Jelić and Dušić are still with us, and now we are close to the number of 200 people in Croatia – said Gašparac.

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The core business of PwC is auditing. About 40 percent of PwC’s global revenue comes from auditing, and it is similar in Croatia. However, they also engage in tax consulting, business consulting, and assistance with mergers and acquisitions.

– In consulting, there is a significant need for a regional approach; the problems are similar whether it concerns any of the Southeast European countries. Currently, we have projects in Romania, Bosnia, Slovenia, and Albania. We also plan to work in other countries. Similar problems exist in all markets, and the experience is relevant. We have done a lot of work on the transformation of the energy sector in Croatia, and now we are doing it in Romania, where they have recognized the importance of our specific experience – said Dejan Ljuština, a member of the management board and partner at PwC.

According to Ljuština’s assessment, the consulting and auditing market is growing as the economy grows. The need for the consolidation of certain markets is also increasing in the region, and companies often seek assistance with the digitalization of their business. The demand for consulting services is also driven by constant changes in European regulations, for which private entrepreneurs need specialized assistance.

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Croatian PwC is part of a network of firms in 157 countries with more than 223,000 people providing auditing, accounting consulting, business consulting, and tax services. Among PwC’s clients in Croatia are companies such as Atlantic Group, Adris Group, Agrokor, Hrvatski Telekom, Lukšić Group, Ericsson Nikola Tesla, Pliva, Končar, Crodux, and Molson Coors, among others, and besides private partners, they also collaborate with state-owned companies and bodies.

– For example, we assisted the Office of the President of the Republic of Croatia regarding the Three Seas Initiative. We also have experience in the transformation of the energy sector. From our side, there is a willingness to help, and we engage global expertise and are interested in assisting the state – said Gašparac.