Eric Olsen

I am looking forward to speaking at the 6th edition of GCR Live: Global Merger Control, taking place from 16 - 17 October 2024 at the Hilton Brussels Grand Place Hotel. Besides Illumina-Grail, quite a few things have happened in merger control over the last year, which will make for interesting discussions with distinguished speakers. Find out more here - https://lnkd.in/eHRB9nrf #GCRLive #GCRGlobalMergerControl #MergerControl #CompetitionLaw #Antitrust

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I am pleased to share our chapter on Circularity from the latest edition of “The Visionary CEO’s Guide to Sustainability,” co-authored by my colleagues Josh Hinkel, Tessa Bysong, Xavier Houot, and Simone Doms at Bain & Company. As businesses face the pressing challenge of resource scarcity, circular business models offer a transformative path forward. These models not only enhance operational resilience but also open up new markets and create competitive advantages. But how do companies deliver on the promise of circularity? Partnerships are key. In a recent Bain survey, over 90% of companies with circular initiatives reported having at least one partnership in place. These alliances are essential for gaining access to circular feedstocks, sharing market knowledge, and developing the technologies needed to drive sustainable transformation. Take it a step further: AI is helping companies extend product lifecycles, from predictive maintenance to traceability, boosting customer confidence in refurbished goods. Whether it's rethinking product design, optimizing resource use, or transforming products into services, partnerships offer the most effective and cost-efficient way to accelerate the shift to circularity. ♻️ Explore how circular partnerships are shaping the future economy, and how your business can get involved. #CircularEconomy #Sustainability #Partnerships #CircularBusiness #SustainableBusiness https://bit.ly/4gNvwNm

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This ties in perfectly with the full day offsite brainstorming we had today within BDO Belgium on the Tax & Legal Professional of the Future 4.0. Our clients’ expectations, just as those of our people, have evolved and will continue to evolve further. Although we need to embrace and embed it in our daily practice, surely AI is not going to solve everything.

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𝗣𝗶𝗹𝗹𝗮𝗿 𝗧𝘄𝗼 𝘂𝗽𝗱𝗮𝘁𝗲 𝗼𝗻 𝗕𝗲𝗹𝗴𝗶𝗮𝗻 𝗿𝗲𝗴𝗶𝘀𝘁𝗿𝗮𝘁𝗶𝗼𝗻 𝗽𝗿𝗼𝗰𝗲𝘀𝘀: 𝗮𝗰𝘁 𝗻𝗼𝘄 The Belgian tax authorities have issued further details on the recently introduced Pillar Two registration process. At the core is the Pillar Two Notification Form. Completion of this Form requires the collection of a substantial amount of data, a thorough understanding of the group’s (Belgian) Pillar Two position and, last but not least, access to the MyMinfin portal. On top of the administration, a very tight deadline is imposed – 30 days after the start of the First Pillar Two reporting period, extended to 45 days as of the publication date of the form for the current (or soon to start) reporting period. In-scope taxpayers are therefore urged to take immediate action! Read more about this in our recent article: https://okt.to/50BzUq Have questions or need support? Do not hesitate to contact one of the following experts, Olivier Michiels, Paul Ampe, Jonathan Collard, Jeroen Sevens or your regular BDO contact. #PillarTwo #MyMinfin

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Tomorrow Wednesday we will be discussing about the impact and the potential of AI for governments in a panel organized by United Nations Development Programme (UNDP). We will share some thoughts and recommendations with the colleagues Sonia Taborcía, Lars Tushuizen, Sylvain St-Pierre and Timothy Takona. The discussion will be inspired by a paper from the Tony Blair Institute for Global Change called "Governing in the Age of AI: A New Model to Transform the State" (2024): https://lnkd.in/d6X4N9z9 Super interesting and exhaustive paper for governments and public administrations that want to impulse AI strategies and programs. Thanks Lars Tushuizen for sharing it with us! Looking forward to see you all tomorrow! #AI #PublicSector #AI4Government #UNDP #NTTDATA

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#PODCAST🎙️| Join Roel Boons, Thomas De Cuyper and myself in our second episode of the ‘CFO Insights’ podcast, in which we explore how Chief Financial Officers and their departments are managing the tsunami of reporting requirements coming at the them due to #CSRD and other ESG-related regulations. We discuss not only how to make it happen (data - processes - people), but also how the regulatory requirements can potentially be turned into a competitive advantage.💡💰 🔗 Listen to the episode here: https://lnkd.in/e32aehzB #CFOInsights #CSRD #Reporting

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Are you a small business owner or leader looking to create sustainable value for both you and your stakeholders while making a real impact? If so, read on! 👇 The Corporate Sustainability Reporting Directive (CSRD) is set to impact companies of all sizes across Europe. However, while larger corporations may have the resources to adapt swiftly, SMEs often face unique challenges. For SMEs, implementing a double materiality assessment can be daunting. To shed light on crucial aspects of CSRD compliance, we recently participated in a webinar organised by the VBO FEB. 👉 Click here to read more & watch the video: https://okt.to/6JtGv5 #ESG #sustainability #SMEs #doublemateriality #CSRD

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Good summary of the revised ViDA proposal!

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A project we have been working on for the last two years or so: the establishment of our Mazars Financial Services Transfer Pricing Center of Excellence. Check out our website in the link and experience the value added services and solutions that this can bring to your organization #mazars #financialservices #banking #capitalmarkets #insurance #transferpricing #tax #london

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Happy to team up again with Loyens & Loeff NY for the next ‘Snippet’ on Pillar Two (𝐏𝟐), this time discussing consolidation in #Luxembourg (𝐋𝐮𝐱) fund structures. P2 generally applies to groups with annual revenues exceeding €750M. A group under P2 consists of entities that the ultimate parent entity includes in its consolidated financial statements (𝐂𝐅𝐒) on a line-by-line basis or would consolidate but for the ‘held for sale’ (𝐇𝐅𝐒) exemption or on size and materiality grounds. In Lux fund structures, there can be two separate P2 groups: (1) the fund manager group and (2) the fund structure group. The first group could include the GP, the management company and possibly the carry and co-investment vehicles. The second group could include the Lux fund vehicle (𝐅𝐮𝐧𝐝), Lux holding companies (𝐇𝐨𝐥𝐝𝐂𝐨𝐬) and/or portfolio companies (𝐏𝐂). In this Snippet, we do not address the first group. ➡ An investor should consolidate its interest in the Fund and its subs if it has control, i.e., if it is exposed to variable returns from the Fund and has power to affect those returns. Consolidation by an investor is rare but could occur in ‘fund-of-one’ structures or if an investor also controls the GP. ➡ Funds are typically exempt from consolidation under the applicable accounting rules. Therefore, they are not in scope of P2. ➡ At HoldCo level, the first question is whether it must consolidate its investments under Lux law. Lux company law contains various consolidation exemptions (the 𝐄𝐱𝐞𝐦𝐩𝐭𝐢𝐨𝐧𝐬) such as the (i) exemption for HoldCos held by regulated fund entities (SIFs, RAIFs etc.), (ii) small group exemption and (iii) ‘PE and VC’ (held for sale) exemption. The next step is to determine whether the deemed consolidation rule that forms part of the P2 rules (the 𝐃𝐂 𝐑𝐮𝐥𝐞) is applicable. The DC Rule could be relevant if the HoldCo uses a financial accounting standard (𝐀𝐒) other than Lux GAAP (e.g., IFRS). The DC rule applies when a HoldCo does not consolidate its PC under an Exemption under Lux law but would have had to consolidate under the AS it applies. E.g., if a HoldCo uses IFRS and benefits from an Exemption, while it would have to consolidate its PC under IFRS, a deemed consolidation will take place for P2 purposes even though there is no actual consolidation due to the Exemption. Finally, if there is no (deemed) consolidation under one of the previous steps and HoldCo exclusively relies on an HFS Exemption, the question arises whether P2 essentially takes back this HFS Exemption and considers the investment in the PC to be part of a group under P2 (see above). This should not be the case as there are no CFS from which the investments in the PC held for sale are excluded from in the first place, provided that the HoldCo applies an acceptable AS (e.g., Lux GAAP or IFRS). Want to know more? 👉 Reach out to Michiel Schul or myself. #loyensloeff #lawandtax #Pillartwo #USA #EU

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Earlier today Belgium announced an extension of the deadline to file the Pillar Two notification to 16 September. Importantly, the extension is available to MNE Groups that are not required to make estimated payments for Belgium global minimum tax. The extension is welcome news for many companies that do not expect to incur top-up tax in Belgium. #eytax #beps #pillartwo

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As the role of a tax leader evolves to encompass the strategic deployment of GenAI within the tax function, what use cases, risks and key considerations should tax directors be thinking about? Find out in our Tax Directors' Guide to GenAI: https://deloi.tt/4aEP4jh #Tax #GenerativeAI #GenAI #TaxTechnology

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Despite challenges, Belgium's manufacturing holds potential for sustainable growth. EY Parthenon partner Bart Deckers discusses the opportunities for the sector to remain a stable factor in our economy. #advancedmanufacturing #manufacturingindustry https://lnkd.in/e858XNmB

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If you are planning a merger, acquisition or new partnership, exploring the degree of alignment on future value creation plans and the capabilities/ways of working to achieve them is paramount. Per the analogy used in the article below, this is much like getting ready for marriage! Through all the rounds of dating and before you pop the question, you’ve probably talked a lot with your partner about your shared vision of the future and what kind of life you’ll make together. Read on to learn how to conduct effective and respectful talent due diligence in the business(not personal! 😉) space.

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𝘿𝙞𝙙 𝙮𝙤𝙪 𝙠𝙣𝙤𝙬 70% 𝙤𝙛 𝙢𝙚𝙧𝙜𝙚𝙧𝙨 𝙖𝙣𝙙 𝙖𝙘𝙦𝙪𝙞𝙨𝙞𝙩𝙞𝙤𝙣𝙨 𝙛𝙖𝙞𝙡? 🤯 It’s not just about numbers—it’s about people. In this article on IMD, Sumeet Salwan argues that rigorous talent due diligence is the key to M&A success. Connecting the right talent to future value hotspots can turn potential failures into thriving ventures. His insights challenge every deal maker to prioritize talent evaluation just as they do deep financial and legal checks. For anyone in the M&A space, this article on talent diligence is a 𝙜𝙖𝙢𝙚-𝙘𝙝𝙖𝙣𝙜𝙚𝙧, offering a clear strategy to transform mergers into success stories. Don’t gamble on M&A—invest in talent diligence, invest in the right people.

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Top 10 Family Office Trends 📊 This year's report delves into the top trends shaping family offices' strategies. From investing and risk management to hiring and sustainability, the report covers key areas like succession planning and digital transformation. Stay ahead of the curve with insights on the latest trends impacting family offices. #FamilyOffice #Trends #Investing #RiskManagement #Sustainability #DigitalTransformation https://lnkd.in/gdEfRfKc

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Here at PwC Belgium, we have a special tradition of lighting up our headquarters for important days throughout the year, and Belgian National Day is no exception. It’s a beautiful sight from the motorway, but it represents something deeper: a reminder to embrace our country’s full potential and embody the values that define us — innovation, quality, and community. This vision resonates deeply with our approach here at PwC Belgium and our 'Community of Solvers' — our people committed to driving forward-thinking solutions that support the growth of businesses across Belgium. However, there's one more crucial element that we, as a country, need to rally around, and that’s collaboration. I like to think of it as more 'we' than 'me' — the key ingredient that will help us achieve long-term prosperity.

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