22 July 2012: It was a proud day for the colleagues, friends and family of Anam Sami when they found out that the associate working at KPMG Lower Gulf had scored the highest marks globally in her ACCA Audit and Assurance paper. Almost 30,000 students from across the globe took the exam, out of which Anam secured the 1st place with 88% marks. Vijay Malhotra, Chairman KPMG Lower Gulf, who presented Anam with her certificate of accomplishment said "this is a great achievement and we at KPMG are very proud of Anam and see a very bright future ahead for the young lady".

Stuart Dunlop, head of ACCA Middle East, who was also present at the award ceremony greatly applauded the win and said "the important thing to realize here is that there are tens of thousands of people sitting the ACCA exam at any one given time from around the world. So to achieve a top position in such an exam is a remarkable accomplishment and we are very proud that we have someone of this ability in our region".

Anam who was born and raised in Dubai, started her professional career with the KPMG Lower Gulf Audit department after achieving her Bachelor's degree from the UK. She is currently studying for her professional exams and has appeared in 7 papers out of the required 14. Talking about her achievement she said, "it was definitely hard work preparing for the exams but I guess it paid off in the end. I received a lot of assistance from my colleagues and seniors at KPMG as well as immense support from my family and friends which are two of the main reasons I was able to achieve this honor."

Anam has also received two other Certificates of Achievement from ACCA for outstanding performance in her professional exams.

About KPMG:
KPMG is a global network of professional firms providing Audit, Tax and Advisory services. We operate in 152 countries and have 145,000 people working in member firms around the world. KPMG in the UAE was established in 1974 and has grown to more than 650 professional staff led by 31 Partners, across six offices. We have established a presence among market leaders in the region, providing clients with Audit, Tax and Advisory services.

Over several decades, KPMG in the UAE has had the opportunity to work with leading industry players in the region and has played a pivotal role in a number of success stories. At various stages of their growth clients have looked to KPMG for timely and independent advice to help in decision making. KPMG's employees and Partners in the UAE embrace KPMG's Global values.

These values determine how we interact with clients, with each other and with the world around us. These values also define what we stand for and how we conduct business. At KPMG we try to create sustainable, long-term value, not just for our member firms and clients, but for the broader society as well. KPMG aims to be a responsible corporate citizen by making a real difference to the communities in which it operates.

About ACCA:
ACCA (the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants) is the global body for professional accountants. We aim to offer business-relevant, first-choice qualifications to people of application, ability and ambition around the world who seek a rewarding career in accountancy, finance and management.

We support our 154,000 members and 432,000 students in 170 countries, helping them to develop successful careers in accounting and business, with the skills required by employers. We work through a network of over 80 offices and centres and more than 8,400 Approved Employers worldwide, who provide high standards of employee learning and development. Through our public interest remit, we promote appropriate regulation of accounting and conduct relevant research to ensure accountancy continues to grow in reputation and influence.

Founded in 1904, ACCA has consistently held unique core values: opportunity, diversity, innovation, integrity and accountability. We believe that accountants bring value to economies in all stages of development and seek to develop capacity in the profession and encourage the adoption of global standards. Our values are aligned to the needs of employers in all sectors and we ensure that through our qualifications, we prepare accountants for business. We seek to open up the profession to people of all backgrounds and remove artificial barriers, innovating our qualifications and delivery to meet the diverse needs of trainee professionals and their employers.

For further information, contact:
Omar Khan
Communications Manager KPMG Lower Gulf
Omarkhan2@kpmg.com
M: +971 50 250 6204

Vana Mastromichali
Marketing Manager Middle East ACCA
Vana.Mastrom@ae.accaglobal.com
M: +971 50 554 9663

© Press Release 2012