Better coordination, stronger oversight: Why a unified full suite professional services model matters for regional growth

AS COMPANIES expand across South-east Asia, each new market brings its own set of tax obligations, audit standards and reporting requirements.

Managing these differences through separate local advisers in each jurisdiction can be complex.

For finance and compliance teams, this often means fragmented advice from multiple local advisers, each working without full visibility across the wider business. The result is inefficiency at best, and governance blind spots at worst.

Says Thomas Chan, regional managing director (ASEAN) at professional services firm Acclime: “As businesses become more regional, many are looking for advisers that can provide greater coordination across governance, compliance, reporting and operational requirements.”

Companies are establishing regional hubs in Singapore, expanding manufacturing across Vietnam and Malaysia and centralising shared services across multiple markets, he adds. As a result, coordination gaps that were once manageable have become structural issues.

Acclime’s model is designed to address this. Rather than operating as a loose network of firms, it functions as a single organisation with shared standards, systems and accountability across markets.

Clients expanding from Singapore into Vietnam or Indonesia continue working within the same firm rather than being handed off to separate providers.

Since its founding in 2019, Acclime has completed more than 50 acquisitions to build a platform spanning 18 markets across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Today, the platform is supported by more than 2,000 professionals serving over 17,000 clients, including regional enterprises, multinationals, funds and family offices across audit and assurance, tax, advisory, corporate secretarial, payroll and fund services.

Among its recent moves was the acquisition of the former Crowe Singapore in October 2025, with full integration and rebranding completed in May 2026. While the former Crowe Singapore now operates under the Acclime name, the same leadership, partners and engagement teams remain in place to support clients’ evolving needs.

“Bringing together audit and assurance, tax, fund services, corporate secretarial and advisory capabilities under one integrated platform allows Acclime to provide a more seamless client experience while strengthening the depth of expertise available across ASEAN,” says Chan.

Acclime’s growth strategy received a boost in December 2025 when private equity firm Warburg Pincus signed an agreement to invest in Acclime to support its next phase of international expansion and innovation. 

Access to deeper expertise and resources

Beyond structure, the integration also gives clients access to a broader pool of resources, specialist expertise and regional capabilities that come with being part of a larger platform.

Tan Kuang Hui, managing partner of Acclime Assurance and former managing partner of Crowe Singapore, says client expectations have evolved alongside the increasingly regional nature of their businesses.

“With Acclime’s integrated platform, our clients can now gain access to a broader network of specialists, resources and on-the-ground expertise across Asia-Pacific and the Middle East – while continuing to work with the same partners and teams they are familiar with,” says Tan.

For companies expanding across ASEAN, this could provide stronger regional coordination, faster access to expertise across markets and greater consistency in how audit, tax and compliance matters are managed.

He adds that scale is a key advantage of the expanded platform, enabling the firm to deepen specialist expertise and invest more systematically in people, systems and technology across its markets.

This includes investment in AI-enabled tools and digital workflows designed to improve efficiency and reduce manual processes across audit, tax, corporate secretarial, payroll and advisory services.

“These capabilities help improve consistency, reduce manual friction and provide clearer visibility across workstreams,” he says. “Importantly, technology supports rather than replaces professional judgment, allowing teams to focus more time on interpretation, advice and client service.”

Consistency where it matters most

For all the advantages of an integrated platform, the real test is what happens on the ground. For finance leaders managing regional operations, inconsistency in how audit and advisory work is executed across markets is often the most tangible frustration.

Adeline Ng, head of Audit and Assurance at Acclime Singapore and formerly a partner at Crowe Singapore, works closely with businesses across multiple countries and says it is one of the most common challenges she encounters.

“Audit planning and delivery can differ significantly across jurisdictions, creating inconsistencies in reporting, timelines and execution,” she says.

At group level, these differences can create unnecessary friction and complexity as organisations scale, Ng adds.

“What makes a meaningful difference is having a coordinated model where the same partner and team oversee the work with the broader regional picture in mind,” she says. “That creates clearer oversight, stronger alignment and more efficient execution across markets.”

She explains that expectations from clients are also evolving quickly, with consistency across jurisdictions increasingly seen as a baseline requirement rather than a premium feature.

“Businesses operating across ASEAN want advisers who can work seamlessly across borders and support them with the same level of quality and understanding in every market,” she says.

“The expectation is no longer just technical delivery. It is the consistency of judgement and execution across the region.”

Learn how Acclime’s regional platform can help your company navigate compliance, governance and expansion across Asia.