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Office
Amsterdam, Netherlands
Meta Beelaerts van Blokland advises EY employees concerning all their questions about accountants' independence.
She studied civil law at the University of Groningen, started at HVG in 1996 and later moved to EY, in 2002.
“Can I work an additional job? Am I allowed to work for an EY customer after EY? Is it acceptable to provide this type of advice to this audit client, or not? These are just a few of the questions my team and I get. We explain what is and is not allowed, based on current laws and regulations. Yet independence is not a subject purely of interest to regulators – it affects everyone in the EY organization, whether they're an accountant, tax expert, consultant or lawyer. Our professional independence is our license to operate.”
How Meta is building a better working world
“EY's existence is anchored in accountancy. If things go wrong there, the consequences can be very serious. We lose a customer, or we are fined. I feel very responsible for doing my part to ensure we act correctly, so that we maintain the trust of society. Apart from that, my work is also nice and varied. “One time a senior staff member calls, the next a director.”