Louis Quintal takes over as RSM’s head of manufacturing for Australia
Accounting and consulting firm RSM has appointed company veteran Louis Quintal as its new national lead partner for manufacturing. He takes over from national executive Jessica Olivier.
Originally joining in Johannesburg, Quintal has been with RSM for the past two decades, including a stint as CEO of RSM South Africa prior to transferring with the firm to Australia as an audit partner in 2022.
Based out of Sydney, Quintal takes over from fellow partner Jessica Olivier, who has performed the manufacturing services leadership role for the past two and a half years and has now been promoted to ‘national executive’.
“I’m thrilled to step into this role and drive our manufacturing strategy forward,” Quintal stated, adding that the firm has been busy building its expertise across various service offerings within the industry, including as to digital, cybersecurity, and ESG. “My goal is to continue expanding our capabilities and addressing the evolving needs and challenges of the sector.”
Following a commerce degree with the University of Johannesburg, it took Quintal little time from joining RSM South Africa as a graduate to being admitted to the partnership and then appointed head of audit, earning him the global network’s Rising Star of Year award in 2019. Following that, he spent a year as chief executive officer until late 2021, before migrating to Australia.
While Quintal has also amassed experience providing financial and technical advice to the retail, technology, and property & construction sectors among others throughout his two-decade career, his primary focus has been on manufacturing clients – although the switch from Africa to Australia has necessitated the ability to learn and adapt due to the vastly different manufacturing landscapes.
Speaking with industry publication Manufacturer’s Monthly, Quintal noted that whereas Africa has a low-cost base and high level of activity, the production sector in Australia must contend with a number of local challenges relative to competitors elsewhere in the Asia Pacific, including high labour costs, increased energy and rental prices, and other regulatory and geopolitical factors.
One overarching solution, Quintal says, is a greater tilt towards technology; “The sector needs to focus on achieving efficiencies and producing high-quality products at a lower cost through advanced automation and robotics. We need to embrace change and build strong partnerships. Personally, I am a hands-on type of person, and enjoy seeing things evolve.”
Meanwhile, Olivier, who joined RSM from PwC in 2016 and previously worked at KPMG in the UK, steps into the national executive role to support the implementation of the firm’s global 2023 strategy at the local level. She will however continue her work as an R&D partner and remain on RSM’s National Manufacturing committee to ensure a smooth handover in the coming months.
