An 18-month secondment to KPMG’s London office turned into a five-year stint in one of the most dynamic financial centres in the world for Carlo De Mello.
He had joined KPMG just three years earlier in 1992 after graduating with a commerce degree from the University of British Columbia.
“The thought of working internationally was very appealing and going to London just made sense.”
In the years leading up to the turn of the millennium, De Mello advised some of the largest financial institutions in the world, from Tokyo Mitsubishi International to Credit Suisse First Boston, his main client.
The move also served him well personally, having met his wife who was in the U.K. from the firm’s Sydney, Australia, office. The desire to start a family ultimately led them to decide to move back to Vancouver to be closer to his family.
His global experience has served him well since coming back to Vancouver. “You see things at a broader scale. We’re not a large financial centre, but we’re a global one, and I think having that perspective is extremely valuable.”
De Mello has developed KPMG’s Canadian credit-union practice into one of the largest out of any other accounting firm in the country with clients ranging from Central Credit Union of Canada and Central 1 to Vancity, Coast Capital Savings and a number of other credit-union centrals across the country.
He’s also been instrumental in growing the firms’ financial-services practice in Greater Vancouver, serving the region’s largest financial institutions, including HSBC Bank Canada, Raymond James Ltd. and Yellowpoint Equity Partners.
For Kenyan-born De Mello, receiving BIV’s Forty Under 40 award has a personal significance. “My parents moved here really to create opportunities for their children, and they made huge sacrifices for our family, and all this is gravy compared to what they’ve done for us.” •
