Survivor Jorge Intriago: Go-To Guy for FDI

by Jim Davis

Having eschewed the safer career path that led through Moscow, Jorge Intriago came to Kyiv in 1995 with a two-year contract and a sense of adventure.

Intriago had spent more than a decade working in the United States and South America with a major audit, tax and advisory firm, providing services to multinationals including Exxon, IBM, Lloyds Bank, Shell, Texaco, Nestle and BP before arriving in the former Soviet Union in 1995 with the idea of further developing his already considerable knowledge of the tax and legal services field.

His employer at the time had offered him the choice of joining an already large and well-established office in Moscow, or the challenge of heading a new office in Kyiv. Although he knew that Moscow had advantages, and less risk, Intriago chose Kyiv.

Fifteen years later, the Spanish-Ecuadorian has become a permanent resident of Ukraine, a stalwart of the expatriate community. He is recognized for his leadership in attracting foreign direct investment to his adopted homeland.

In addition to his professional activities as a partner at Ernst & Young, Intriago has spent huge amounts of time engaged in supporting legal and civic activities that he believes are important in making Ukraine a more attractive investment venue.

One particular interest has been in developing the European Business Association, which he has served as president, vice president (six times), and a board member (several years). In addition, Intriago has been a member of the President's Foreign Investment Advisory Council and an advisor on foreign investment to the Economy Ministry.

Intriago admits that the challenges faced by foreign investors in Ukraine are still significant. Those continuing challenges keep him interested.

"I remain for many reasons, but one of the most important is that, in Kyiv, an individual can see the result of his efforts in both the public and private spheres," he said. "Here, you can make a difference."

Intriago is perhaps most proud of his ability to build a very high-quality team and be part of a team of professionals, most of whom are Ukrainians.

"I take great pride in the fact that of our 20 partners, almost all are Ukrainian," he says.
Now a large and prestigious practice, Ernst & Young's tax and legal department in composed mostly of Ukrainian professionals with university educations in fields related to tax and legal services.

"We hire the best people we can find." Intriago said. "However, what really fascinates me is the ability of the young people we hire to grow in their knowledge and their ability to help our clients."

As someone who has wrestled with the inconsistencies of Ukraine's tax law and practices for 15 years, Intriago is under no illusions that the recently passed tax code is a complete answer to existing issues.

"The new tax code has a lot of problems, but it is an inevitable starting point," Intriago said.

"The code is a good example of my belief in the future of Ukraine," he continued. "We have been debating the adoption of a tax code for many years. Bits and pieces of tax laws had been changed over time, but all of the changes needed to be codified. We now have a tax code which, though it contains many mistakes and is not as clear as one would wish, can be amended, made more perfect and made better for existing businesses and potential investors."

"Let's just hope that the government will have the same political courage to significantly amend the tax code as they took to pass it," Intriago said.

Intriago also sees positive features in the current government.

"We find that some of the top government leaders, particularly First Vice Prime Minister Andriy Klyuyev, Vice Prime Minister Boris Kolesnikov and Vice Prime Minister Serhiy Tyhypko, are seasoned businessmen. When we go to them with issues, they are able to understand them from a business perspective and able to respond accordingly," Intriago said.

For Jorge Intriago, the two year contract that started his life in Kyiv has developed into a happy and permanent connection.

Jim Davis is a freelance writer residing in Kyiv. He can be reached at jd03150@voliacable.com