Sugan Palanee’s inspiring journey from humble beginnings to global leadership

OVER three decades ago, Sugan Palanee embarked on his career as a trainee accountant, with a single ambition - to one day become a “Big Four” partner.

Today, the South African-born and newly-naturalised British citizen has not only achieved that goal, but has also been appointed global Chief Operating Officer (COO) for Clients and Industries at Ernst & Young (EY), which is one of the world’s “Big Four” accounting firms.

EY reported a combined global revenues exceeding US$50 billion in the 2025 financial year.

“It has been a remarkable journey which started from humble beginnings,” he said.

Childhood 

Palanee, the second born of three children, said he grew up in Arena Park, Chatsworth. His family later moved to Silverglen. 

He lived with his father, Whitey, a debt collector for a furniture business, his now late mother, Moganiammal, a teacher, who later became the principal of Silverglen Primary School, and his siblings, Devon and Thesla. 

Palanee said he had many fond memories of his childhood. 

“I often spent my time after school playing games such as marbles and gooly ghanda as well as soccer and cricket with children from the neighbourhood. We lived a simple life, but we always had fun. I also remember my parents took us to the Durban beachfront where they used to have a place called ‘Newtons’. There were many rides and games. We also went on family trips. I remember we once did a road trip to Cape Town with a number of family members, which holds great memories for me.

“In addition, I grew up in a household where education, discipline, and service were deeply valued. My mother instilled in me the importance of learning, compassion, and community upliftment, while my father, who was a man of many talents and the tireless work ethic, taught me resilience and resourcefulness. I believe these values profoundly shaped me into the person I am today."

Education 

Palanee began pre-school when he was just four years old.

“My parents sent me to stay with family in Mount Edgecombe, so I could attend pre-school. This family was very involved in education and I stayed with them for the week, and on a Friday afternoon my dad would fetch me to spend the weekend in Chatsworth. This was an interesting time.”

He attended Crestview Primary School in Chatsworth from Grade 1 to 7, before moving on to Risecliff Secondary School, where he matriculated in 1987.

Palanee said it was during these years that he discovered and developed his passion for accounting.

“I absolutely loved the subject, and I excelled in it. I knew that I wanted to pursue a career as an accountant.” 

Further studies

After matriculating, Palanee enrolled to study part-time for a Bachelor of accounting sciences degree through the University of South Africa (Unisa)  in 1988.

“I decided that I also wanted to work so I could earn an income. I am glad I did, as I don’t think I would have otherwise achieved the success that I did.”

Career

While pursuing his studies, Palanee took up his first job as a "coin counter" at the eThekwini Municipality.

“I used to count the money from the parking metres. After a year I was appointed in a clerical position. While doing this, I applied for a job at Unilever and was successful, and started there. Barely into my job, I realised that if I want to be an accountant I would need to do articles of clerkship. So I started sending out my curriculum vitae to various accounting firms.

“However, at the time my brother-in-law, who was a client of EY, passed on my curriculum vitae to them, and I was called in for an interview. I remember during the interview, when I was asked where I saw myself in 10 years, I replied, ‘I see myself as a partner’, and they laughed. At the time, no people of colour held partner roles. I was more determined.”

Reflecting on his early years, Palanee noted the many challenges he endured while growing up under apartheid.

“It was not an easy road, especially being the only Indian who was appointed as a trainee accountant. I was among only three non-white trainee accountants that were hired at the time. I remember we were sent for training on the South Coast, and I was supposed to share a room with a white colleague. He refused to stay in the same room because of the colour of my skin.

“In addition, clients didn’t want black people on their premises, so myself and my two other black colleagues were made to sit in the office and do basic accounting work, even though we were meant to be out training like our fellow white trainees. But this benefited us in the long-run as we became very good at balancing the most complex problems. 

“Later on, myself and another Indian colleague were taken to do an audit for a client, which was a large pharmaceutical company. They had struggled for years with their partial-deferred tax reconciliation. Within three days we had tackled it, balanced it and were sitting back really bored. They were in shock and even said they never expected us to do it. I believe this put me on the map at EY, and shortly thereafter I was appointed as an assistant manager,” he said. 

During this period, Palanee completed his Honours degree through Unisa, before going on to sit the final qualifying examination. In 1993, he qualified as a chartered accountant.

Climb to the top 

In 1995, he was given the opportunity to work as an auditor at EY’s office in Connecticut, in the United States. When he returned to South Africa about six months later, Palanee was appointed as a manager.

“Over the next few years, I climbed the ranks from senior manager to director and became a partner in the firm’s Durban offices. Shortly thereafter, I became the managing partner, which meant I had to oversee the entire running of the office. I also sat among the firm’s executives and dealt with some of its biggest clients. This gave me a great sense of accomplishment,” he said. 

In 2005, Palanee was appointed Head of Markets for Africa, where he took on the responsibility for driving the firm’s growth strategy across the continent, leading business development teams and overseeing large account leaders. He traversed the continent, from South Africa, to Nigeria, Kenya and the Ivory Coast.

“At the time I was commuting between Durban and Johannesburg. I decided to relocate with my family. After about six years in that position and achieving great success, I was headhunted by our firm in London. I initially turned down the offers as I was doing well in the position and had built relationships with the people I was working with. But I also knew I wanted to climb the ladder, so I decided to accept. I relocated with my family in 2019." 

Palanee was appointed as the Head of Business Development for Europe, Middle-East, India and Africa (EMEIA) in 2019. 

“I led a team of 1 400 people across Europe, Middle-East, India and Africa, responsible for top line growth.”

In 2023, he was appointed as the Head of Markets for EMEIA, and in July this year, he was appointed as the global COO for Clients and Industries. 

“This role is about more than operational excellence. It’s about enabling our global teams to deliver exceptional client service, drive commercial performance, and build ecosystems that create long-term value. It’s about translating strategy into execution - aligning our sector and account programmes, scaling what works, and removing friction so our people can focus on what matters most which is delivering impact for clients.

“The role also sits at the intersection of trust and transformation. From digital enablement to ecosystem partnerships, from operational resilience to sustainability, the COO function is evolving to meet the moment. As EY research shows, today’s COOs are not just optimising operations, they are helping organisations confront disruption, unlock innovation, and lead with confidence in a rapidly changing world,” he said. 

Highlights

Palanee said that while his career had been filled with many highlights, one of the most meaningful had been contributing to helping South Africa stand out on the global stage.

“Throughout my career I have built great relationships with the chief executives of various businesses and members of the national government. I remember back in 2015 when a new finance minister was appointed and there was much concern as the stock markets began crashing and the rand went through the roof against the dollar. We were able to convene business and government to help steady the economy.”

Community service

Beyond his professional journey, Palanee credits his spiritual compass to the teachings of Sathya Sai Baba. 

He said the guiding principles of "Love All, Serve All" and "Help Ever, Hurt Never" continued to inspire the way he lived his life and led in his career.

Palanee said while living in Durban, he served as the chairperson of the Sathya Sai Central Trust in South Africa.

“We built shelters and did regular feedings in impoverished areas in Chatsworth. We also built schools to provide free education. I was also involved in the Chatsworth Hospice, including serving as a trustee and on its finance committee. I continue to support them." 

Palanee is also a vocal supporter of the LGBTQ+ community, a Purple Champion for gender parity, and a driving force in promoting inclusive leadership across EY.

“When I moved to Johannesburg, I noticed the challenges that the LGBTQ+ community in the office was faced with. I created a safe space for them to come speak to me when they had issues such as colleagues not wanting to use the kitchen because they drank from a cup or colleagues not wanting to use the same toilet as them. I began addressing these issues. For this, I was recognised and received the Global Chairman’s Value Award. I also led the firm’s team during a pride march in Johannesburg. 

“I also serve on the EY’s Global Diversity, Equity, Inclusive Council, which is a global committee that serves to address and ensure equality across gender, race and agendas as appropriate.”

Family 

Palanee said his journey had also been deeply shaped by his family.

He has been married to Kalay for 25 years and together they have a daughter, Theaya, 22, a final year BSc in psychology student at the University of Kent.

Message to the youth

“You don’t need to be an academic from the start, I wasn’t. I believe your journey is yours to shape but just make sure it’s driven by purpose and compassion. In addition, stay curious, stay committed, and serve with love.

“My motto in life is simple yet profound, ‘lead with purpose, stay grounded, and always make space for others’,” he said. 

In his free time, Palanee said he found balance through meditation, treasuring time with his family, and doting on his family’s beloved Pekingese, Barfi. 

He said these simple joys kept him grounded amidst a global career.

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