As the world rapidly advances towards digitalization, technology has become an integral part of every industry, and the accounting industry is no exception. KPMG, a global network of professional services firms, is celebrating 125 years in Sri Lanka and has been at the forefront of technology integration in their operations for the past two to three decades.
We had the opportunity to speak with Mr. Priyanka Jayatilake, the newly appointed Managing Partner of KPMG Sri Lanka, about the Firm’s journey towards technology, the market position in the highly competitive Sri Lankan IT industry, and the new approaches and initiatives being taken to bridge the gap between digital workplace and digital experience.
Priyanka’s long tenure at KPMG Sri Lanka is a testament to his commitment and dedication to the organization. With over thirty-five years of experience, he has been an integral part of the Firm’s growth and success. He holds a BSc. (Hons) (First Class) degree in Mathematics and Computing from the University of Colombo and received a MSc. in Computer Science/Software Systems Technology from the University of Sheffield, UK. He is a Chartered IT practitioner of the British Computer Society, a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka and a Fellow of the Institute of Chartered Management Accountants of Sri Lanka. He is one of the leading professionals to enter into the computer technology industry at that time.
Priyanka joined KPMG in 1987 and has been a partner for over thirty years. During his tenure, he has been an audit partner for seventeen years, led the Firm’s Technology practice and served as the head of advisory for more than ten years. He is a true embodiment of KPMG’s values and believes that teamwork, collaboration and innovation is the path to success and will help the Firm conquer local and global opportunities.
He explains that KPMG’s products and services are primarily based on current and emerging needs of the clientele, which includes progressive, efficient, and secure solutions. He says that their technology-based products and services stand out in the marketplace mainly due to focus on high quality and efficiency, in built best practices and meeting/exceeding customer expectations with an excellent service level. As a result, the Firm has been able to stay ahead of the game by investing heavily on technology and consolidating many service areas under technology solutions.
Priyanka says that KPMG Sri Lanka has founded an affiliate company called KPMG Technology Solutions (KTS) to facilitate their move from IT advisory to Technology solutions where they have combined their advisory services to provide end-to-end solutions which are tangible, the their clientele. He says that their solutions are total solutions where they combine domain knowledge, expertise in BPR, their capability in software process improvement, software quality assurance, cyber security etc. Priyanka says that their Oracle ERP implementation services and software products such as Anti-Money Laundering solutions (AML), total paperless license issuing and maintenance operations etc. have led to the growth of their technology services. KPMG Sri Lanka is one of the leading professional services firms in the country, which has developed products relating to continuous audit and continuous monitoring which facilitates client’s internal audit function. Additionally, the Firm has a sophisticated total Payroll and HR solution that runs for some of the largest corporates in a cloud environment, which is developed as a single instance. In recent years, KPMG Sri Lanka has also been involved in government digitization programmes including the automation of license issuing and maintenance operation which is for one of the leading paperless governmental institutions.
As KPMG plays the role of a tech IT advisor, their digital workplace concepts, such as, enhanced UI/UX, user awareness and training, cyber security and privacy etc. became very useful particularly during the Covid-19 pandemic, when people were forced to work remotely, outside their normal working environment, although KPMG Sri Lanka has more than twenty years of experience in the cyber security field, assessing a cyber security risk or threat in an ever-changing security posture is a challenge. Priyanka stresses that, apart from identifying the security threat, the gaps in its security organisation should also be identified. He states that KPMG uses multiple techniques to assess the security threats and rate those threats as per the business risks and find solutions to manage such risks. Wide array of their solutions include identification of cyber threats, risk assessment in line with the business and implementation of a security framework, continuous audit and monitoring etc. He says their solutions include best leading practices benchmarked with industry standards ISO 27001, NIST and other regulatory frameworks.
Priyanka’s expertise in IT and his understanding of the importance of technology in the current context together with his leadership skills, makes him the ideal person to lead KPMG to new heights in the current environment and to navigate the Firm through unchartered waters.
In conclusion, KPMG Sri Lanka has been focusing on technology solutions over the last two to three decades. The heavy investments made by the Firm on technology has made it one of the leading professional services firms in Sri Lanka, which focusses on catering to needs of the clientele of the Firm with enhanced methodologies, leading solutions and tools, to address emerging trends, improving efficiency, and highest quality of service levels. With the rapid advancement of digitalization, KPMG Sri Lanka’s role as a tech IT advisor has become increasingly important in enhancing efficiency and strengthening the security of digital platforms of the Firm’s multi sector clientele .