We are pleased to announce the appointment of Hikmet Ayan as a partner in the Group.

A qualified chartered accountant with over 20 years' experience, Hikmet joined Berney Associés in 2019 as a partner in the Fribourg office. Since 2023, he has also been in charge of the accounting department in the Geneva office. His appointment as a partner of the Group is a testament to his commitment and his important role for the company.

Find out more about him in these questions:

Can you sum up your career in a few words?

I started my career as an auditor with PwC before qualifying as a chartered accountant. After that, I chose to join Heineken Switzerland as Business Controller. In September 2012, an expatriation opportunity took me to Martinique, where I worked until March 2014 as Finance Director of Brasserie Lorraine.

Back in Switzerland, I founded my own fiduciary, Square Finance, in Fribourg in 2014, while teaching accounting and finance at the Haute École de Gestion in Fribourg. In 2019, I joined the Berney Group as a partner, taking charge of the Fribourg office. Then, in 2023, I expanded my duties by becoming head of the accounting and payroll department in the Geneva office, while retaining management of the Fribourg office.

You joined Berney Associés 6 years ago. What do you like best about the company and what motivates you to stay?

It's been six years since I joined Berney Associés and if I'm still as committed as ever today, it's above all thanks to three key elements: the working environment, the development opportunities and the team spirit.

On the one hand, I appreciate the company's culture, which values both expertise and people. I've been lucky enough to work in a dynamic environment where trust and autonomy are encouraged, which allows me to give the best of myself.

Berney Associés also offers great prospects for development. Over the years, I've been able to take on new challenges, develop my skills and actively contribute to stimulating projects. The diversity of my assignments makes my day-to-day life always interesting.

Finally, what motivates me most is the team I work with. Mutual support and conviviality are real driving forces in my day-to-day work. Working alongside committed and caring colleagues creates a motivating and rewarding dynamic.
It's this balance between a stimulating professional environment and strong human relations that makes me want to continue the adventure at Berney Associés.

What are you most passionate about in your job?

What I find most exciting about my job is the diversity of the assignments and the tangible impact we have on our customers. Every day brings its own challenges and issues to resolve, which makes the work stimulating and rewarding.

I particularly enjoy the analytical and strategic aspects of our job. Understanding our customers' needs, supporting them in their financial management and providing them with appropriate solutions motivates me enormously. It's rewarding to know that our expertise contributes directly to their success and peace of mind.

I'm also passionate about human interaction. Working with entrepreneurs, managers and employees from a wide range of backgrounds means that I'm constantly learning and building relationships of trust over the long term.

Finally, the profession is constantly evolving, particularly with digitalisation and new regulations. This constant change means that we have to challenge ourselves, innovate and keep up our training, which is very stimulating.

What are your objectives in your new role as partner?

Taking on this new role as a partner is an important step in my career and my objectives are based around three major areas: developing the business, supporting the teams and strengthening customer relations.

First of all, I want to actively contribute to the firm's growth by consolidating our position in the market and exploring new opportunities. This means innovating, adapting to changes in the sector and optimising our services to meet our customers' expectations even better.

Secondly, a key aspect for me is the development of talent within the firm. I'm keen to support and train teams, foster a motivating working environment and encourage a dynamic of collaboration and knowledge transfer.

Finally, I want to continue to build relationships of trust with our customers by offering them strategic, personalised support. Their satisfaction and loyalty are essential, and my aim is to strengthen this closeness by being a genuine partner in their financial and entrepreneurial challenges.

This new role represents an exciting challenge, and I'm looking forward to making an even greater contribution to the development and success of Berney Associés.