Sharmila Sanmugam joins WTS international tax team as partner
The UK wing of WTS has appointed Sharmila Sanmugam as a partner to lead the firm’s international tax practice. She brings 15 years of experience to the role.
Speaking on her appointment, Sanmugam said, “The tax industry is ready for something different, and I’m excited to be joining a firm purpose-built to deliver it. I’m looking forward to bringing my international experience to the team and helping our clients navigate an increasingly complex global tax environment.”
Headquartered in Munich, WTS is one of the leading tax advisory firms in Germany, generating annual revenues of more than €250 million. Last year, the group entered a long-term strategic partnership with the global private equity firm EQT, as it sought to expand its services to become an independent European champion in the tax advisory industry, uniquely free from annual audits.
Realising that ambition in Britain will be WTS UK, launched in 2026 with major plans to see out the decade. While it launched with a double-digit number of partners, it hopes to hit 100 within the next five years – something which would see it reach roughly 60% of the size of EY’s UK tax practice.
As the firm pushes ahead with these ambitions, Sanmugam joins WTS from Apollo Global Management, where she spent almost eight years as director of tax and led the international tax function. She was previously a tax manager at CBRE, while earlier in her career, she worked in Deloitte’s financial services tax team as an assistant manager.
These engagements helped Sanmugam to build extensive experience managing complex cross-border tax matters, leading global adviser networks and partnering with senior stakeholders across finance, legal and compliance functions.
Jeff Soar, CEO and founder of WTS UK, added, “We are excited to welcome Sharmila to the firm. Her experience across in-house and advisory roles, together with her deep understanding of international tax and global compliance, will be invaluable – both to our clients and to our team, as we continue to build a firm that delivers tax advice differently.”
