We recently had the privilege of interviewing Hervé Israel, Partner and Founder of Parnassah International Partners. Shifting his career from being a civil servant to founding his tax law firm, is nothing short of an inspiration. In this insightful session, Hervé Israel shares with us his career trajectory, challenges in this sector, incorporating client feedback and ethics in business operations, and how he promotes innovation in his approaches.
Beginning Of The Journey
We started the session by asking, “Could you start by telling us about your professional career path?”
Hervé Israel shared, “After graduating from university, I joined the French tax administration as a tax inspector. I specialize first in litigation and then as a tax auditor. As I had no interest in staying as a civil servant; I quickly moved to the private sector becoming a tax manager for Pechiney now Rio Tinto, then with Schlumberger, an oil research company.
I then joined a large French financial institution working as head of international tax affairs for Credit Agricole and BNP Paribas. I then decided to work as a tax lawyer and became a partner in the international law firm Hogan Lovells, Holman Fenwick Willan, and DLA Piper. I got bored with large law firms and decided to be more involved, and I joined boutique firms before setting up my tax law firm in Dubai called Parnassah International Partners.”
Overcoming Major Adversities
Every business faces certain inevitable challenges. To learn how Hervé Israel overcomes the same, we asked, “What have been the most significant barriers you’ve overcome, and how have these challenges influenced your leadership philosophy?”
He said, “There are many barriers that most people will encounter during their career, from a personal standpoint I think the most important one is people who do not trust you or are simply jealous of you who do not want you to succeed.
The second one is the company culture, sometimes you cannot work in an environment
because you do not feel well with the culture. In both cases there is only one solution: I would advise you to not waste your time, resign, and find your place somewhere else.”
Encouraging Innovative Approaches
Eager to learn more about how Hervé Israel promotes innovation and creativity in his business, we asked, “How do you foster a culture of continuous improvement and innovation within your organization?”
Hervé shared, “When I managed people, I tried to trust them and support them. It means giving them a lot of autonomy and helping them if they make mistakes or if they need support. Give them the feeling that they are part of a larger organization but that their contribution is important. Reward success but do not keep people who are not fully involved. Otherwise, if they feel that there is not a kind of reward or sanction based on fair criteria, you will lose the best people.”
Staying Ahead Of The Curve
To understand the perspective of Hervé Israel on staying ahead of the competition, we asked, “In the context of global competition, how has your company adapted its strategies to maintain a competitive edge?”
“In my area of expertise in International Tax Law, I think the most important issue is to develop a network of professionals in the countries where I operate to offer the best quality of services.” He replied.
Incorporating Client Insights
Customer insights are crucially important to ensure top-notch services and experiences. So, we asked, “What role has customer feedback played in shaping the direction of your products or services?”
Hervé shared, “Most of my clients have been with me for many years. I have started with some of them to work with their children now adults. This is the best feedback I have received.”
Marching Forward With Ethical Practices
We further asked, “How do you approach corporate responsibility and ethical business practices in your operations?”
Hervé added, “As a tax lawyer I must be able to propose and implement efficiently, which reduces tax liabilities, but also safe solutions which are not subject to challenges by the tax authorities. After more than 20 years as a tax lawyer, I can proudly say that I have been efficient in both areas.”
Expansion Of Services, we asked Hervé Israel
To help our visitors learn more about Hervé Israel’s services, we asked, “Could you tell us more about your services/products and if you have any upcoming plans regarding them?”
He enthusiastically shared, “I plan to expand my activities to include advice in financial products and real estate with some professional partners as these are the main areas of interest from my private clients.”
A Piece Of Advice For Beginners
Lastly, addressing beginners, we inquired, “Would you like to give beginners in the same industry some advice?”
Hervé concluded, “Be curious to become imaginative. Otherwise, you cannot create value for your client.”
Follow Hervé Israel on LinkedIn.
Find Parnassah International Partners on LinkedIn and visit their website http://parnassah-international.com/
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