Our People - Demi Lari (Audit, Assurance and Risk Consulting)

Q1. What was the motivating factor that made you move over to Australia and what made you choose to move with KPMG originally?

I think back to the rainy evening in London in my shoe box apartment, where me and my other half were using a radiator for a whiteboard and drawing out where we might want to relocate to. My partner already worked for KPMG in London, so we were considering Australia, Singapore, Canada and Hong Kong as potential options for a secondment. I was quite exhausted from working and studying my law degree full-time and needed a change. It’s probably a bit cringe – but I watched the Australia tourism advert ‘there’s nothing like Australia’ and decided that is exactly where I wanted to move to. In terms of moving to KPMG, I’ve always wanted to choose a career that made a difference and helped people. A position opened up in Forensics where I could do exactly that, and the rest is history. 

Q2. From a lifestyle perspective how has the change been? What are 2 things you expected and 2 things you didn't expect?

From a lifestyle perspective, it's the best combination of having a city lifestyle with a beach right around the corner. I would say the pace of work is different to London, however you will be just as busy. In terms of what I expected - I anticipated that I would be spending my weekends with my feet in the sea, exploring nature and meeting new people. But what I didn't expect was how much I have done since coming out here - I have become a qualified scuba diver, yoga teacher, kayaked with dolphins and completed my first Marathon. Sadly these things have slowed down due to the pandemic, and it has been tough not seeing my family and friends due to border restrictions. I am however, hoping to bring them out here as soon as possible.

Q3. How do you feel your time at KPMG Australia has influenced your career direction?

I feel that KPMG Australia has offered me the chance to explore my career path. For me, a big part of your career is having purpose behind what you do, but also enjoying the people you work with. I am grateful that I can say I have both in the Financial Crime Team in Forensic. 

Q4. What has been your most rewarding experience with KPMG and on that note the most challenging experience? 

It is quite difficult to choose one rewarding experience – however I would say it is a combination of knowing that I can make a difference and have the ability to grow my team, and also being apart of the FloWell Yoga community at KPMG. I had the privilege to teach yoga to the KPMG community during the pandemic, and it was inspiring to witness the resilience of so many people during that time. In terms of the most challenging – it did take a long time to process the visa paperwork before we were able to re-locate here, moving to a new country was quite expensive and some of the visa rights can be restrictive. I would suggest making sure that you always plan ahead and be prepared to fill in a lot of paperwork, although it was frustrating at times it was also definitely worth it. 

Q4. What would your general advice be for anyone abroad that is on the fence or looking to relocate to Australia ?  

I would say it is a big decision, and you do have to weigh up the pros and cons (sorry, I’m Forensic Risk through and through). Also, don’t underestimate the length of time it takes to negotiate a transfer, line up visa requirements etc. If your planning to come out here next year, you need to have already kickstarted your conversations and built a network. I would also recommend speaking to someone who has done this previously – and I'm always keen to have a chat and a coffee if you want to find out more about what it’s like.