Summary

Rose Li, Head of Tax, Commercial

Working at IFM Investors, Rose Li has had the opportunity to develop as a leader and progress her career through a range of roles across the globe. After working in London, Rose returned to her home town of Melbourne to join IFM in 2012 as Commercial Associate – Tax. Working on international transactions with investment teams, external advisors and investment partners, Rose managed and led a number of projects.

Says Rose, “Working on these transactions, some of which were outside of my area of expertise, provided invaluable exposure to senior leaders and strengthened my understanding the business drivers that guide decision-making at IFM Investors.

“Having the opportunity to learn on the job and getting global exposure, I’ve developed my skills as an international tax professional with breadth and depth of experience.”

In 2016, Rose moved to New York to provide tax support to IFM’s New York and London businesses, and that developed into the opportunity to build and lead a team in these regions. “These broader perspectives and opportunities to work with different stakeholders have enabled me to develop my sense of commercial judgment,” says Rose. Professional and structured leadership opportunities have further developed Rose’s career progression.

The move to New York has not only given Rose a good insight into the local challenges and opportunities, she’s able to explore her interest in fashion and art. “I’m lucky there are some of the best art galleries (big and small) in the world. You never know where and when fashion and art ‘pops up’ in everyday life in this city.”

It's this unique mix of regional and global perspectives, together with her knowledge of IFM as a business and its unique requirements in different regions, that saw Rose appointed Global Head of Tax in 2019.

I'm constantly impressed by the skill and innovation of our investment teams and their ability to find ways to make a difference to the assets, businesses and communities we impact, while delivering robust returns to our investors (and their members).

Contributing to IFM’s purpose of growing and protecting the retirement savings of working people, Rose is strongly aligned to the organisation’s values and says “I generally feel comfortable with expressing myself at work. This is an area that IFM can hopefully continue to lead in.”

This respect for one another was particularly evident for Rose during the early days of the COVID pandemic. “During the crisis, one thing I noticed, and that I'm proud of, is that all our communications and messages consistently started with considerations for the health and safety of our people, and also of the people at our assets.”

 

“We talk a lot about our purpose and culture here, but for me, the way we came together to think about people outside our direct line of view was really is an illustration of that.”

Also benefiting from Rose’s community-mindedness are her family and friends – and her doorman! “On the weekends I enjoy cooking and baking – I find the mixing and stirring therapeutic! And of course, it’s great to share the food with friends and family. Right now, the doorman and super in my building eat most of the baked goods!”