Celeste Krens
London
Summary
Strategic and commercially focused international tax leader with a proven track record of building and scaling tax functions from the ground up in complex, fast-paced, private equity-backed environments.
Proven extensive expertise and technical knowledge across all areas of global taxation, including international tax structuring & planning, transfer pricing, tax accounting and reporting, and extensive end-to-end experience in the full M&A cycle.
Demonstrated success in reducing the group’s effective tax rate (ETR) through implementation of tax-efficient financing and cash optimization structures, transfer pricing optimization, strategic holding company structuring, and proactively managing global tax risks.
A driven and hands-on, business-minded tax leader with strong commercial acumen, trusted by executive stakeholders to navigate and explain tax complexity, reduce tax risk, and drive long-term value creation. Highly effective at partnering with cross-functional teams—including Accounting, Legal, M&A, FP&A, and Operations—to integrate tax into broader business decision-making.
Overview
14
14
years of professional experience
15
15
years of post-secondary education
Work history
Global Director of Tax
Superstruct Entertainment
London
07.2022 - 07.2025
- Company Overview: PE-backed buy-and-built live entertainment platform, €1.3bn enterprise value, >750M annual revenue
- Built the tax function from the ground up: Defined and executed the group’s first global tax strategy; established scalable processes and controls; hired and led a lean, high-performing tax team. Reported directly to the CEO and CFO, with a strategic seat at the table during board-level discussions.
- Oversaw global tax compliance and reporting: Ensured timely and accurate tax filings across multiple jurisdictions, including corporate income tax, indirect taxes (VAT/GST), withholding tax, and employee mobility taxation.
- Designed and implemented the group’s global transfer pricing policy, including TP documentation, standardizing intercompany agreements (intercompany loans, recharge mechanisms for various business units), ensuring alignment with OECD and local regulations.
- Led the tax workstream for 20+ global M&A transactions and minority buy-outs, including tax due diligence, acquisition structuring, SPA negotiation, tax modelling, tax in bridge, post-deal integration, and tax modelling for acquisitions across Europe and Asia-Pacific.
- Led multiple global corporate restructuring initiatives, including the implementation of a tax-efficient international holding structure, local debt pushdowns, and legal entity rationalization projects to drive operational and tax efficiencies.
- Led the full tax workstream in the successful €1.3bn sale to KKR, including:
- Being responsible for sell-side tax due diligence, managing external advisors, coordinating internal stakeholders, and acting as the primary tax point of contact.
- Delivered clean tax diligence outcome—no tax exposures identified impacting the purchase price.
- Led preparation of the tax in bridge, tax structuring, tax modelling, and Q&A processes and drafted and negotiated key tax sections of the SPA.
- Implemented group-wide tax accounting process (IAS 12) to improve accuracy and speed of tax provisioning in consolidated group financials, supporting annual closes.
- Developed a tax-efficient global financing and cash repatriation strategy, including Designing and leading the end-to-end implementation of the group’s first global cash pooling structure, playing a critical role in the financial design, transfer pricing policy and drafting the cash pool documentation.
- Developed and implemented tax-efficient dividend/cash repatriation strategy, enabling streamlined cash repatriation from a legal, regulatory and tax perspective.
- Post-deal tax integration lead: Identified and resolved legacy tax exposures uncovered during acquisition due diligence; rolled out new group tax policies (e.g. freelancer/off-payroll procedures—IR35 and local equivalents, artist withholding tax compliance).
- Day-to-day tax advisor to local business units, providing practical solutions to operational tax queries across various business units.
- PE-backed buy-and-built live entertainment platform, €1.3bn enterprise value, >750M annual revenue
Deputy Dutch & EU Tax Desk Leader, Senior Manager | International Tax and Transaction Services
Ernst & Young
London
06.2019 - 07.2022
- Secondment to the Netherlands tax desk in London, with a Dutch / Pan-European tax focus.
- Provided tax advice to multinational companies in a broad range of industries on international tax aspects of e.g. the set-up of tax-efficient financing/holding/licensing structures, cross-border merger and acquisitions, group restructuring/ reorganization, legal entity rationalization and supply chain optimizations.
- Provided end-to-end M&A tax advice for corporate multinational clients and private equity clients, including assisting with tax due diligence, deal execution, tax-efficient planning in light of divestments and carve-outs and post-deal integration tax planning.
- Advised on reorganization and optimization of group structures in anticipation of recent EU and international tax developments (BEPS / BEPS 2.0 / ATAD / MDR). This includes the presenting of internal and external webcasts / learning sessions on international tax developments, including BEPS 2.0 Pillar 2, ATAD 3, anti-hybrid legislation (ATAD 2).
- Provided assistance with the obtaining of tax rulings (advance tax rulings and advance pricing agreements) and assistance with mutual agreement procedures (MAPs).
Manager | International Tax and Transaction Services
Ernst & Young
Rotterdam
10.2013 - 06.2019
- Provided tax advice to multinationals in a broad range of industries on international tax aspects of e.g. set-up of tax-efficient financing/holding/licensing structures, cross-border merger and acquisitions, group restructuring/ reorganization, legal entity rationalization and supply chain optimizations.
- Advised on reorganization and optimization of group structures in anticipation of recent EU and international tax developments (BEPS / ATAD / BEPS 2.0 / MDR).
- Provided assistance with the obtaining of tax rulings (advance tax rulings and advance pricing agreements) and assistance with mutual agreement procedures (MAPs).
Manager | Netherlands-Belgium Tax Desk
Ernst & Young
New York
07.2015 - 11.2015
- International Tax Services - Secondment to the Netherlands tax desk.
Working Student | Transaction Tax
Ernst & Young
Rotterdam
09.2011 - 09.2013
Internship | Transaction Tax
Ernst & Young
London
08.2011 - 08.2011
Education
Executive LLM - International & EU Tax Law
University of Leiden
01.2016 - 01.2018
Post-Master courses - Taxation
Nyenrode Business University
01.2013 - 01.2016
Master’s Degree - Tax law
Tilburg University
09.2012 - 09.2013
Bachelor’s Degree - Tax law
Tilburg University
09.2009 - 07.2012
Gymnasium - academically-oriented secondary school, similar to British grammar school
Norbertuscollege
09.2003 - 06.2009
Skills
- Date of birth: 10-20-1990
- Gender: Female
Languages
Dutch
Native
English
Fluent
French
Upper intermediate
German
Intermediate
Latin
Intermediate
Timeline
Global Director of Tax
Superstruct Entertainment
07.2022 - 07.2025
Deputy Dutch & EU Tax Desk Leader, Senior Manager | International Tax and Transaction Services
Ernst & Young
06.2019 - 07.2022
Executive LLM - International & EU Tax Law
University of Leiden
01.2016 - 01.2018
Manager | Netherlands-Belgium Tax Desk
Ernst & Young
07.2015 - 11.2015
Manager | International Tax and Transaction Services
Ernst & Young
10.2013 - 06.2019
Post-Master courses - Taxation
Nyenrode Business University
01.2013 - 01.2016
Master’s Degree - Tax law
Tilburg University
09.2012 - 09.2013
Working Student | Transaction Tax
Ernst & Young
09.2011 - 09.2013
Internship | Transaction Tax
Ernst & Young
08.2011 - 08.2011
Bachelor’s Degree - Tax law
Tilburg University
09.2009 - 07.2012
Gymnasium - academically-oriented secondary school, similar to British grammar school
Norbertuscollege
09.2003 - 06.2009
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