RSM recruits transfer pricing experts Mitchell Cramey and Brad O’Donnell

Accounting and consulting firm RSM Australia has added two new international tax and transfer pricing experts to its partnership in Adelaide and Perth: Mitchell Cramey and Brad O’Donnell.

Cramey and O’Donnell both join the top mid-tier firm after starting their careers and spending the best part of two decades at Ernst & Young, crossing at the same time as departing RSM chief Jamie O’Rourke has taken a swipe at Big Four culture.

The pair of international tax and transfer pricing specialists have shared a remarkably similar career to date. Both joined EY in March of 2007 after completing commerce degrees in accounting, respectively at the University of Adelaide and Curtin University.

Both then spent time with the Big Four firm in North America; in Cramey’s case, for two years working in transfer pricing in Vancouver, while O’Donnell spent seven years serving tech clients as a member of EY’s Silicon Valley transfer pricing team in San Jose.

Cramey and O’Donnell now join RSM as partners in the same week after having each risen to director level at EY – an important distinction in the comments O’Rourke recently made to the AFR regarding the competitive culture which in his opinion permeates the Big Four being a potential disruption to the team focus cultivated at RSM.

O’Rourke, who is handing over to Melbourne-based audit partner Robert Miano from July, noted that of the eleven ex-Big Four professionals brought in as partners since 2020 – already a relatively tiny number compared to mid-tier rivals such as BDO – all except for one were directors at the time, with Matthew Beevers joining RSM in Perth from the partnership of KPMGin 2022.

Brad O’Donnell

Previously EY’s Transfer Pricing Technology CoE leader for Oceania, O’Donnell’s recruitment expands RSM’s transfer pricing offering to Western Australia. Among other areas within the specialist segment, he brings cross-border expertise in advisory and compliance, supply chain modelling, policy design, IP strategies, and the preparation of documents.

“Brad is an excellent addition to our tax team, and we look forward to furthering our national success through this new service on the West Coast,” said Perth managing partner Alasdair Whyte. “With Australia’s ongoing international tax reforms, transfer pricing is a key focus for the ATO, and many of our current and future clients are subject to these specialised and complex rules.”

Mitchell Cramey

Meanwhile, Cramey, who also holds a bachelor of laws from what is now Adelaide University, will lead RSM’s local corporate tax team, bringing almost two decades worth of experience in supporting both inbound and outbound multinational clients in the areas of international tax and transfer pricing, tax compliance, and corporate advisory.

On his motivation to cross to a mid-tier, Cramey stated; “After a rewarding 18 years at EY, I jumped at the chance to build something unique in the Adelaide market and I am excited to work with the national RSM team, who share my passion to delivering high-quality, pragmatic advice and authentic client service.”