AGN Connections: Turning Cross-Border Relationships into Client Opportunity

International referrals don’t happen by chance. They are built on trusted relationships, visibility, responsiveness and a deliberate approach to international collaboration. 

That was the central message from AGN’s first Connections Roundtable, which brought together more than 25 delegates from 16 countries and U.S. states to share practical experiences of generating referred work, supporting clients across borders and building lasting professional relationships.

From international tax advice and subsidiary audits to M&A support and business expansion, one theme emerged consistently: successful cross-border collaboration begins long before a client needs help. 

Five key lessons from the discussion.

1. Strong Relationships Create Stronger Referrals 

Membership of an international association creates opportunity, but relationships turn opportunity into referrals. 

Throughout the discussion, members emphasised that trust is built through regular interaction—meeting at regional events, participating in committees and share groups, and maintaining contact between conferences. Those relationships give members the confidence to introduce clients knowing they will receive the same standard of service they would provide themselves. 

Examples shared during the roundtable demonstrated that referrals are rarely transactional. Instead, they develop between professionals who already know, trust and understand one another. 

As Jonathan F. Erickson of Daniels & Erickson observed, firms should invest in relationships before a client issue becomes urgent. Building trust in advance makes collaboration easier when opportunities arise. 

2. Visibility Makes Firms Easier to Refer 

Even the strongest expertise cannot generate referrals if other members don’t know it exists. 

Several contributors highlighted the importance of maintaining a complete AGN member profile, clearly showcasing service lines, sector expertise, industries and international contacts. The member directory is often the first place firms look when identifying support in another jurisdiction. 

Visibility extends beyond the directory. Firms that actively participate in meetings, webinars and AGN initiatives naturally become more familiar to other members and are more likely to be considered when international opportunities arise. 

As the discussion highlighted, visibility reduces friction. Members are far more likely to make referrals when they clearly understand another firm’s capabilities. 

3. Small Opportunities Often Lead to Larger Engagements 

One of the strongest commercial messages from the roundtable was simple: treat every enquiry seriously. 

What begins as a straightforward request for local tax advice, a subsidiary audit or a stocktake can quickly develop into a much broader client relationship. 

Members shared several examples where relatively small engagements became the foundation for ongoing international work. Adrian Sidaway of Ballards described how a short-notice stocktake in the Netherlands strengthened relationships between firms, while a UK subsidiary audit referred from France ultimately led to wider group audit work. 

Similarly, Sandeep Bansal of KNM Management Advisory Services shared examples of projects that evolved from individual assignments into multi-country collaborations involving audit, M&A, advisory and business expansion. 

The message was clear: responsiveness is not simply good client service—it is good business development. 

4. Successful Collaboration Depends on Clear Communication

Cross-border assignments involve different jurisdictions, regulatory environments and ways of working. Successful delivery therefore depends on clear communication from the outset. 

Members stressed the importance of agreeing scope, responsibilities, reporting expectations and timelines before work begins. Doing so helps manage expectations and ensures a consistent experience for both the referring firm and the client. 

Nicole Suk of Windham Brannon explained that while her firm advises clients from a US tax perspective, international matters require trusted local expertise. Working collaboratively across jurisdictions allows firms to provide joined-up advice while ensuring clients receive specialist support wherever they operate. 

The discussion also recognised the valuable role AGN’s regional directors play in connecting members with the right expertise when firms are unsure where to begin. 

5. International Collaboration Requires Intentional Investment

Perhaps the most important takeaway was that successful international collaboration does not happen accidentally. 

Firms that consistently generate cross-border work actively invest in their AGN relationships by attending events, participating in regional activities and involving professionals from different service lines and career stages. 

Several contributors encouraged firms to send more than one representative to AGN meetings, allowing relationships to develop across the business rather than resting with a single individual. Others highlighted the importance of involving NextGen professionals early, helping them build international awareness and relationships that will benefit both their careers and their firms for years to come. 

The firms that gain the greatest value from AGN are those that treat international collaboration as an ongoing business development strategy rather than something to consider only when a client requirement arises.

Practical Actions for Members 

Members can strengthen their international referral opportunities by taking a few simple but deliberate steps:

Turning Relationships into Opportunity 

The first AGN Connections roundtable reinforced a simple but important truth: international referrals are built on trust long before they become client engagements. 

AGN provides the relationships, resources and expertise to help members deliver seamless cross-border service. The greatest opportunities belong to firms that actively invest in those relationships, remain visible within the association and consistently demonstrate responsiveness and reliability. 

For firms willing to do so, international collaboration is not simply a member benefit—it is a powerful driver of client value and long-term growth.