Episode 09
Embedding tax strategies into company plans with PWC’s Michael Williams
Episode summary
In this episode of Controllers Classified, Erik Zhou sits down with Michael Williams, a Tax Partner at PwC, to unpack both his career path to Partnership and his firm’s POV on corporate tax strategies in 2025 and beyond.
Michael begins by sharing key milestones in his time at PWC, noting how his perspective, role, and scope shifted as he worked towards becoming a Partner at the firm. He underscores the importance of real value creation for clients and notes that if you’re in the business of service and advice, it has to be quality and actionable.
He then pivots to sharing why companies need to embed a tax perspective into their strategic planning. Erik and Michael cover upcoming changes in the tax landscape and what companies should be prepare for, underscoring that thinking about tax proactively instead of reactively isn’t just smart—it’s essential.
Michael closes with his funniest business travel story. It may involve a cat on the loose. Tune in to get all the details!
Show notes
Overview of Michael’s career [01:13]
Journey to becoming a partner at PWC [05:11]
Tax considerations for the upcoming year [28:26]
Michael’s funniest business travel experience [45:30]
Guest bio
Michael Williams, Tax Partner, PwC
Michael is based in San Francisco with over 14 years of public accounting experience. Michael specializes in providing tax consulting and tax compliance and has experience related to domestic tax planning, accounting for income taxes, and uncertain tax positions. Michael has focused on financial services related to banking, asset management, investment advisors and financial technology companies.
