BDO Australia appoints former KPMG director as tax partner

BDO Australia has appointed Daniel Rae (pictured) as partner in the firm’s international trade and customs team in its Sydney office.

Rae has over 20 years of experience across international trade, customs, indirect tax, and global supply chains.

He advises on customs and trade strategy, compliance, excise, and trade facilitation, with experience spanning retail, life sciences, industrials, mining and resources, and energy.

Prior to his appointment with the firm, Rae served as a director of trade and customs at KPMG Australia for over two years, since his initial appointment to the big four firm as a senior consultant in 2019, before he was elevated to manager in late 2020, senior manager in mid-2022, and finally, director in mid-2024.

He has held senior in-house roles and spent several years working in China at Fonterra and Mainfreight; spent over a year working in Auckland, New Zealand, in the supply chain space for Foodstuffs North Island Limited and Adherium; and has experience serving the retail, life sciences, industrials, mining and resources, energy and alcohol sectors.

“International trade has become a much more challenging environment for Australian businesses, with changing regulation, tariffs and supply chain pressures creating both risks and opportunities,” said Grant Saxon, office managing partner at the BDO Sydney office.

“Daniel brings a combination of deep technical expertise and practical commercial experience that will be valuable to clients operating across international markets.”

“His experience spans both advisory and industry roles, which gives him a strong understanding of the challenges businesses face when managing complex supply chains and regulatory requirements.”

Rae said that his combined experience working both within industries and as an adviser has shaped his approach to international trade.

“Having worked inside international supply chains, I understand that trade and customs issues aren’t just technical or compliance matters; they can have a real impact on how a business operates, its costs and its ability to grow,” Rae said.

“The trade environment is becoming more complex and less predictable, so businesses need advice that is practical and grounded in their commercial reality.”

This follows the firm’s appointment of two partners to its project and infrastructure advisory practice in August, its acquisition of a Brisbane-based EY partner in July, its appointment of three partners to its Perth office in February, and its appointment of four partners and 12 directors in January.