WTS Hansuke appoints former EY AEoI head as partner

WTS Hansuke has announced the appointment of Neiha Perera, the former EY head of automatic exchange of information (AEoI), as a partner in its financial services operational taxes team. 

Perera, who joins the firms in January 2026 from EY, brings experience advising financial institutions on compliance with the US Foreign Account Tax Compliance Act (FATCA), the Common Reporting Standard (CRS) and related governance remediation and audit response programmes. 

The appointment comes as banks, asset managers and other financial services firms face increased regulatory scrutiny and prepare for the next phase of global reporting requirements, including updates to the CRS framework, often referred to as CRS 2.0, and the introduction of the Crypto-Asset Reporting Framework (CARF).

Firms across major onshore and offshore centres, including the UK, Cayman Islands, Luxembourg, Singapore and the United Arab Emirates, are seeing higher levels of audit activity and more frequent requests from tax authorities to demonstrate end-to-end operational controls.

Perera began her career in an operational taxes team at EY established in 2005 by Ali Kazimi, now managing partner and founder of WTS Hansuke, after his move from asset manager BlackRock, then known as Barclays Global Investors. She later went on to lead EY’s AEoI practice, overseeing advisory and implementation work for financial institutions operating across the US, Europe, Asia-Pacific and the Middle East.

Kazimi said: “Neiha is one of the most respected leaders in AEoI. With CRS 2.0 and CARF arriving alongside heightened audit expectations globally, this is exactly the moment where deep specialism matters most.”

At WTS Hansuke, Perera will work alongside a team that includes Chris Orchard, a former HM Revenue and Customs policy lead involved in the design of the UK’s FATCA and CRS regimes.

Perera added: “It’s no longer just about getting reporting right. It’s about proving governance, controls and operational effectiveness across the entire process. CRS 2.0 and CARF are raising the bar further, and many institutions are facing more intensive audit activity than ever before.

“My first role was in the very team Ali built, and it shaped my career. To return and build something together again is a unique opportunity.”