Personnel, location expansion, media appearances
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Manuel Sieben, StB, MCA, Dipl.-Finw.(FH), specialist consultant for customs and excise duties, has been advising companies on customs and preferential law at AWB since 2011 and is also a lecturer at the AWA AUSSENWIRTSCHAFTS-AKADEMIE and the Federal Chamber of Tax Consultants in Berlin. In addition to providing advice in all areas of customs and preferential law, his specific areas of activity include, for example, providing technical support for the implementation of IT procedures for clients, with a focus on the digitalisation of preferential processes. As part of AWB's reorganisation, he will lead the customs team as an equity partner together with the existing equity partners Prof. Dr Hans-Michael Wolffgang and Andreas Beckmann from 1 April 2023. In our interview series ‘A chat’, the new equity partners tell us about their upcoming plans and their personal careers at AWB.

Mr Sieben, in September you will have been working for AWB for twelve years - that's a long time. How do you look back on it?

For me personally, the past few years have been characterised by extremely exciting tasks, but also by continuous development and growth. At AWB, I had the opportunity to continue my professional development right from the start. For example, in addition to my work as a consultant at AWB, I completed a Master's degree and the tax consultant exam and am now authorised to use the title of specialist consultant. But a lot has also happened internally at AWB - we have grown steadily, expanded our network and gained new clients. And of course we work differently as a company today than we did twelve years ago. The opening of our Hamburg office in 2015 was definitely memorable for me. Two years later, we were recognised for the first time as a top tax firm in the area of customs and excise duties by FOCUS SPEZIAL magazine and in the same year we received the Handelsblatt award for ‘Germany's Top Tax Consultants 2017’ in the areas of VAT law and customs law. We have maintained this course ever since and have won further awards every year. For example, we received a top ranking and a 4-star award in the fields of customs and excise tax and VAT in the JUVE Handbook of Taxes 2022. We can be very proud of this.

Can you give us an example of how the way we work at AWB has developed?

For us, too, digitalisation and ‘new work’ are naturally topics that we integrate and promote in our work processes and routines. We already had flexible working options before coronavirus, but these have of course become much more important. Our consulting company is also increasingly committed to expanding its own IT tools, which are intended to help our importers and exporters with sanctions list checks and the issuing of licences, for example. Everyday life has become more dynamic and digital processes have to provide a remedy today. I see this in my daily processes, for example when I check customs-specific IT solutions and approve them together with my colleagues from the audit department. I also implement compliance management and control systems for the customs sector myself, which I support and supervise on a cross-border basis. This interface between IT, digitalisation and law enables me to keep my finger on the pulse and drive AWB forward in the context of digitalisation.

What's next for you in your role as an equity partner?

It is a personal concern of mine to give people and processes room for development. I myself originally come from the customs administration and completed a Master's degree in Customs Administration (‘MCA’) at the University of Münster, building on my Diplom-Finanzwirt (FH). In addition to my consultancy work at AWB, I then trained as a tax consultant and specialised consultant for customs and excise duties. Today, as a lecturer on my courses, I always meet people who are interested in and enthusiastic about new things, regardless of their previous career. At AWB, we attach great importance to utilising and strengthening existing potential. That's why, in addition to professional challenges - which I am very much looking forward to - I would also like to concentrate on my management tasks and make a positive contribution to efficient and functioning teamwork in the areas of customs and preferential law.

These are exciting goals. What drives you personally to pursue them?

I appreciate the very close and trusting relationship we have with our colleagues at AWB. We also sometimes organise private activities together, such as going for a run or enjoying an after-work beer on the banks of the Aasee in summer. This brings us even closer together as people in addition to our day-to-day work, which is particularly important to me personally. As long as we motivate each other, we do a great job as a team and can develop both professionally and personally.

Mr Sieben, that's a good conclusion, thank you for the interview.

I would also like to thank you very much for the friendly conversation.