Almost every Kenyan working as a financial professional in London knows Pantaleo in one way or the other. He’s been working at KPMG UK London office since 2018, having moved from KPMG Kenya for his secondment that was supposed to last 2 years but somehow ended up staying and moving permanently to the KPMG UK London office.
I got to know Pantaleo, whom his friends fondly call Panta, through a friend of a friend. While preparing for my move to London to join KPMG UK, I reached out to a very good friend in KPMG Kenya and asked if they knew anyone who was in London or was moving to London and after weeks of them reaching out to different people Pantaleo’s name came up.
When I got to London, Pantaleo was among the few people that helped me get around including bringing me into the young professional community of Kenyans that was in London. I laugh at the many times I called Pantaleo having gotten lost in London or not know which trains to take to go to work.
Pantaleo and his friends also took me out on my first day out in London to Westfield Stratford and showed me around. Luckily for me, my apartment was a 2 min walk from where he was staying with a flatmate, and I was always welcomed to the many Kenyan get-togethers that happened there. If it wasn’t for this warm welcome and just being invited to all these get togethers I’m so sure I would have had such a difficult time adjusting to the life in London. This is one of the many reasons why I’m always putting events together for Kenyans in London, be it drinks after work or get togethers, in my own small way I’m paying it forward.
And how can I forget when he showed me where to get maize flour to make ugali and also where to find butcher’s meat. Food in the UK does not taste like what we have back home and finding something that slightly resembles what we have in Kenya is almost near impossible but the little that we do find goes a long way.
When it comes to work, Pantaleo being a fellow colleague helped me settle in and navigate the enormous office in Canary Wharf and having lunch in the staff cafeteria with other Kenyans from time to time when schedules align was always a nice welcome. In a way, Pantaleo has been like a big brother to me during my stay here in London and has been very helpful in getting me settled.
In the time span that I’ve gotten to know Pantaleo, he’s had job promotions, gotten married, and is now embracing fatherhood full on. It’s good when you get to witness people going through life milestones and especially in a foreign country, see how they navigate the new spaces and experiences.
I reached out to Pantaleo for a chat to discuss his move and stay in London, getting married and his new phase in life … fatherhood.
1. How did you get your job at KPMG Kenya
I joined KPMG Kenya through the graduate recruitment process. I actually did not make it in the first attempt in 2012 and had to start off as an accountant at Haco Industries Ltd in Nairobi. I eventually joined KPMG Kenya on my second and final attempt in 2013. Looking back, my experience as an accountant equipped me with a lot of knowledge that I use to date. I wouldn’t connect the dots back then, but as Steve Jobs said, “You can’t connect the dots looking forward; you can only connect them looking backwards. So, you have to trust that the dots will somehow connect in your future.” ― Steve Jobs
2. Briefly describe what a secondment is and how the secondment process works
Secondment as the name suggests is where you join another KPMG office for a short time (3-6 months) or long time (up to 24 months) to learn new culture and ways of working as part of career growth to be a globally competitive individual. The aim of the secondment is that at the end of it you should be able to think globally to be able to provide local solutions to your home office. Since KPMG is a global firm, there is collaboration amongst teams across offices especially for our global clients, so you get a chance to work with these teams during your assignment.
3. Why did you select London as the city that you wanted to do your secondment and what other options did you have
I always wanted to work in a large city and London was my first choice when I applied for secondment. The other factor that attracted me to London is the time zone which is 2 or 3 hours behind my home country Kenya. I was also looking for an office that had some Kenyans. I knew a few Kenyan colleagues who were already in the London office hence it was an easy decision to make.
Obviously to increase my chances of not missing secondment, I had also selected USA and in fact had an offer from KPMG Tyson’s Corner office, but I had never heard of it before.
4. Would you say there’s a difference between moving to the UK on secondment and on a permanent role
There are pros and cons of both. The advantages of coming on secondment is that should you decide to go back to Kenya, your job back in Kenya is secured. On arrival in the UK, you are supported to settle including being Chauffeured from the airport, you get temporary accommodation for 2 weeks which is fully paid for, and you are allocated someone to help you get your permanent accommodation. You also get some tax refunds for most of your expenses from HMRC.
The flipside of secondment is if you decide to make a permanent move, then your years under secondment visa do not count towards your Indefinite Leave to Remain (ILR) which is the only advantage of a permanent move that I can think of.
5. Work wise, what are the similarities and differences of working at KPMG Kenya and KPMG UK London office
Audit work is similar across the offices- the hours you put in during busy season will be the same. However, there is a bit of down-time during the slow season in the UK compared to Kenya. I rarely had free time while working in KPMG Kenya.
The work culture in Kenya is more formal with everyone working hard to get the lonely corner office. The UK culture is quite different and often you will be sharing the hot desks with your Directors or Partners.
6. What are some of the key things someone should consider when moving from Kenya to the UK for work
It took me a while to decide whether I want to make a permanent move to the UK or go back (I am still debating especially after becoming a dad). Making up your mind early will help you to start planning for your ILR.
My other advice would be, ensure you are getting the best deal. London and the UK in general is awfully expensive. Please ensure you work out what your net income will be and whether it’s worth making the move. Gross income is very deceiving!
Ensure you are prepared for the winter as it can get really cold (negative degrees) and the summer period can also get quite hot if last year is anything to go by.
Most importantly, ensure you build a community around you as it can get quite lonely here!
7. Looking back what advice would you give yourself 5 years ago when you had just made the move to London
To save as much as I can. The largest expense is rent and looking back, I should have started saving for the mortgage deposit early.
Travel, travel! I kept on postponing obtaining a Schengen visa which meant that I could only do local UK travels. Being in the UK gives you an opportunity to travel across Europe much easier. I discovered that holidaying in Europe is quite affordable if you plan early (6 months in advance). There is a time I got a return ticket to Italy for £32! So, spice up your Instagram by travelling the continent whilst you have the opportunity
Also, I should have been bolder at work to pursue promotions from the onset. I already had more than enough experience for the next level when I came to the UK, but I was not bold enough to get the promotion I deserved early on.
8. How was it finding love and getting married with your wife at the time being in Kenya and you being in London
Love is a strange thing, you never know when it takes you, you just need to embrace it. I met my wife while I was on holiday in Kenya and from the first date, I was sure this is the lady that I want to spend the rest of my life with. And as they say, where there is a will, there will always be a way. We both did not believe in long distance relationship and thus we got married and she joined me in London shortly after.
