Mind your own business: The importance of knowing what we really do

International Tax Review is part of Legal Benchmarking Limited, 1-2 Paris Garden, London, SE1 8ND

Copyright © Legal Benchmarking Limited and its affiliated companies 2026

Accessibility | Terms of Use | Privacy Policy | Modern Slavery Statement

Cookies Settings

Mind your own business: The importance of knowing what we really do

October 29 2015
myob-carrousel

Steven Ouwerkerk, global head of tax at APM Terminals, argues that to deal with the corporate challenges of operating in an increasingly borderless world, multinationals must learn to operate in a department-less manner, sharing experiences across functions and understanding issues from a variety of perspectives. He also brings a new meaning to the phrase ‘mind your own business’.

Unlock this content.

The content you are trying to view is exclusive to our subscribers.

To unlock this content:

Take a Free Trial or Login

Topics

PolandPortugalPhilippinesQatarUnited StatesOmanParaguayPeruPakistanPanamaSloveniaArmeniaSouth AfricaSingaporeAntigua and BarbudaSlovak RepublicArgentinaAustraliaRomaniaAlbaniaRussiaAngolaSerbiaAlgeriaSan MarinoSaudi ArabiaAndorraMonacoMauritiusMexicoMoroccoMontenegroMaltaMalaysiaNigeriaNetherlands AntillesNew ZealandNorwayCover storyMyanmarNetherlandsMozambiqueLatviaKuwaitLaosLithuaniaLuxembourgLebanonLiechtensteinKenyaKosovoIsraelItalyIsle of ManJerseyJordanJamaicaJapanKazakhstanGlobalNorth MacedoniaGibraltarGreeceGermanyGuernseyGulf Cooperation CouncilGreenlandGuatemalaHong Kong SARIndiaIndonesiaHungaryIcelandIrelandIranIraqCubaTransfer PricingChileDirect TaxChadIndirect TaxCosta RicaCroatiaChinaColombiaCompliance ManagementFranceDenmarkEcuadorCyprusCzech RepublicEuropean UnionFinlandEgyptEstoniaBelizeTanzaniaBarbadosThailandBelgiumAustriaSpainSri LankaAzerbaijanSouth KoreaSwitzerlandBahrainBangladeshTaiwanSwedenBahamasVenezuelaCanadaVietnamCayman IslandsBoliviaUgandaBosnia and HerzegovinaTurkeyUnited Arab EmiratesBermudaBulgariaCambodiaUruguayUnited KingdomBrazilUkraineBritish Virgin IslandsITR MagazineNovember 2015AfricaAsia-PacificEuropeLatin America and Caribbean Middle EastNorth America Central AmericaJurisdictions
more across site & shared bottom lb ros

More from across our site

Direct Tax
High court 2000.jpg
Dan Neidle defeats £8m libel claim brought by ‘tax avoidance promoter’
The High Court’s dismissal of barrister Setu Kamal’s legal challenge represents the first successful strike-out under a new law on SLAPPs
Sam Sholli, March 11 2026
Indirect Tax
US tariffs
Opinion: Tariff turbulence is a wake-up call for IP attorneys
IP lawyers, who say they are encouraging clients to build up ‘tariff resilience’, should treat the risks posed by recent orders as a core consideration in cross-border licensing
Sanjana Mishra, March 11 2026
Transfer Pricing
Coca-cola
Is Coca-Cola’s ‘Black Swan’ event in sight?
As Coca-Cola awaits a crucial 11th Circuit Court of Appeals decision this year, its multibillion-dollar tax dispute could have profound implications for investors, cash flow, and corporate transparency
Alex Martin, March 10 2026
Direct Tax
Gender equality
Gender equality has improved ‘significantly’: 79% of female tax advisers
However, women in tax face greater career obstacles than their male counterparts, an exclusive ITR survey of more than 100 women tax leaders revealed
Tom Baker, March 09 2026
Direct Tax
jeff soar resized.jpg
Former EY tax leader spearheads WTS UK launch
Under Jeff Soar’s leadership, WTS UK aims to scale to 100 partners within five years and challenge the big four
Tom Baker, March 09 2026
Direct Tax
Gdansk, Poland - May 8, 2022: Logo and sign of Deloitte, multina
A taxing week: Deloitte’s culture is about to face a tough test
As the firm embarks on a major shakeup of its EMEA partnerships, some staff will be watching nervously
Ed Conlon, March 06 2026
Direct Tax
Close up shake hands, Considering buying a home, investing in real estate. Broker signs a sales agreement. agent, lease agreement, successful deal.
This week in tax: Ryan acquires property tax consulting firm in US
The buyout of Hucke and Associates continues Ryan’s streak of firm acquisitions; in other news, a UK appeal against VAT on private school fees was dismissed
Sam Sholli, March 06 2026
Direct Tax
Dubai
Iran conflict: UAE tax teams operating as usual despite disruption
Tax teams are responding to usual client demand in the region, albeit with increased working from home flexibility, local sources indicate
Tom Baker, March 05 2026
Indirect Tax
US tariffs
This month in indirect tax: Tariff refund delays may cost US taxpayers $700m per month
A 120-plus-day delay to refunds would cost taxpayers almost $3bn in additional interest, the Cato Institute warned; plus indirect tax updates from February
Sam Sholli, March 04 2026
Direct Tax
UK pound,money of United kingdom close up on white, Pound UK not
US pillar two side-by-side deal will cost UK £700m per year
The Office for Budget Responsibility’s pessimistic pillar two forecast accompanied the UK chancellor’s muted Spring Statement, dubbed ‘as dull as possible’ by one adviser
Tom Baker, March 03 2026
Gift this article