The Partners
Sarkis is the founder of SSP-GGI. He worked in the Income Tax Department in the Ministry of Finance for 35 years, including 8 years as the Head of Income Tax Department and 2 years as the Head of the Large Taxpayers Office (LTO). He was heavily involved in drafting several income tax laws and their implementation guides. Sarkis was a member of the Higher Council of Accounting in Lebanon from 1998 to 2008, and the President of the Lebanese Tax Society for a term from April 2013 to April 2017.
Sarkis has a wide and unparalleled experience in tax, accounting and financial consulting. He is widely regarded as the best tax consultant in Lebanon. Sarkis currently serves as a tax and financial consultant to a number of multinational and local banks and companies.
He is the former President of the Arab Tax Society, a member in the Lebanese Association of Certified Public Accountants, and a member in the Arab Organization for Certified Public Accountants.
He graduated from Lebanese University in Beirut in 1973 with a Bachelor of Business Administration (Accounting and Finance concentration). Sarkis was a lecturer at the Lebanese University (faculty of Economics and Business Administration) from 1978 till 2008 and supervised back then a set of graduate theses.
Eddy is the Managing Partner of SSP – GGI., and serves as leader of the firm’s assurance, taxation and consultancy services.
Eddy worked in PwC Beirut for 5 years where he was distinguished by his outstanding performance and his immediate promotion to manager. Afterwards, Eddy spent four years in PwC London as an experienced audit manager in leading internal and external audit engagements in the Banking and Capital Markets. During his career, Eddy worked with clients ranging from small local organizations and private companies to large multi-national corporations.
Eddy was as a core team member of PwC Lloyds Banking Group team (formerly Lloyds TSB Group). He led several one-off assignments including financial due diligence, valuation, advice on securitization and structured finance transaction, treasury and hedging, accounting for complex structured products, Sarbanes-Oxley implementation and HBOS Group acquisition.
During his tenure with the firm, Eddy has worked in all areas of accounting and auditing, taxation, management consulting and quality control. In addition to his duties as Managing Partner, he oversees the Assurance Services department at Sarkis Sakr and Partners where he provides high quality audit, compliance and assessment services to privately held companies, governmental and non-profit organizations, manufacturing, Banks and financial institutions.
Eddy assists clients in all aspects of starting up a new business and growing existing businesses. Areas of expertise include choosing the form of business entity, assistance with obtaining bank financing, initial set-up of new entities, analysis of and upgrades to an existing entity’s accounting and tax system, analysis and implementation of internal accounting controls and tax compliance and planning.
Eddy graduated with distinction from Notre Dame University in 2000 with Bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting emphasis.
He is a US Certified Public Accountant (CPA) from the New Hampshire Board of Accountancy (2002), a US Certified Information Systems Auditor (CISA) (2005), Lebanese Certified Public Accountant (2003) and Court Sworn Auditor in aspects of the Lebanese Code of Commerce and Tax Law (2004).
Joe is a partner with SSP – GGI. He is the firm’s social security and labor law expert and has wide contracts with the National Social Security Fund.
Joe specializes in the taxation, business services and consulting areas within the firm and provides these services to a wide array of clients. He has extensive experience in the construction, manufacturing, real estate development , medical services and Banking fields.
Prior to joining the firm, Joe started his career at one of the Big four Audit Companies worldwide, “Deloitte et Touche”, Beirut office where he had a proven track record and considerable experience in leading several audit engagements spanning financial services, shipping, hospitality, investments, manufacturing, governmental and non-for-profit, Banking, investment banking and financial institutions. During his 6 years of practice in Deloitte Joe led audit teams and acted as the main client contact on several audit assignments. Moreover, Joe executed audit testing to verify compliance of financial statements with International Financial Reporting Standards together with applicable Lebanese business laws, taxation and social security requirements.
Joe applied analytical skills which gave him the ability to conceptualize and implement creative solutions to business problems, provide assistance for accountants in performing and completing all financial transactions, develop excel programs for the testing of several audit areas: valuation of loans and advances at banks, payroll tax and depreciation of fixed asset.
Joe has extensive experience in advising banks and financial institutions on social security, end of service indemnity, payroll tax and labor law issues.
Joe graduated from Notre Dame University in 2003 with a Bachelor of Business Administration – Accounting emphasis. Joe also holds an MBA degree in Finance and Economics.
Joe attended various international and local training events including Deloitte milestone programs in Greece and UAE, IFRS update seminars and local tax seminars.
