How Olubukola Sanni is Advancing Cross-Border Tax Compliance and Financial Strategy

By Tosin Clegg

Global Mobility and employment tax compliance are central to how multinational organizations manage people, processes, and profits across borders — and Olubukola Sanni has built her career mastering this intersection of finance, regulation, and strategy. With over 17 years of experience across PricewaterhouseCoopers and Baker Hughes, she has become a recognized expert in Global Mobility, Employment Tax, and cross-border financial operations. A Fellow of the Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) and a member of the Chartered Institute of Taxation of Nigeria, she has led initiatives that simplify complex international tax frameworks, optimize business performance, and ensure seamless workforce mobility across regions. Her work has shaped how global organizations align tax strategy with financial planning and operational growth.

Driving Global Mobility and Tax Transformation at Baker Hughes
At Baker Hughes, Sanni has played a pivotal role in redefining how cross-border employment tax compliance is managed across multiple continents. As Global Mobility Tax Lead for Europe, Africa, and the Russian Caspian, she provides strategic guidance on cross-border workforce management, helping business leaders make informed financial decisions in complex mobility scenarios.

Under her leadership, Baker Hughes achieved significant improvements in compliance accuracy, operational efficiency, and cost management. She established shadow payroll systems in seven countries, and delivered tens of millions (USD) in tax savings through case resolutions and streamlined audit management. Her work in designing real-time compliance trackers and vendor documentation frameworks also strengthened process transparency and collaboration across HR, Payroll, and Finance functions.

Earlier, as Employment Tax Lead for Africa, Sanni was instrumental in harmonizing employment tax practices across 12 countries and optimizing HR compliance strategies post-acquisition. She negotiated consultant fees and designed compensation structures that saved the business millions while maintaining strong compliance with labor and social security laws. Her influence extended beyond operations to strategic advisory, where her insights directly shaped pricing models, risk mitigation strategies, and long-term financial planning for global mobility programs.

Shaping Global Employment and Tax Strategy at PwC
Before joining Baker Hughes, Sanni spent a decade at PricewaterhouseCoopers (PwC), where she rose through the ranks to become a Senior Manager in the People and Organization team. Leading a team of 23 professionals, she managed more than 150 client engagements across Africa — helping major financial institutions, insurance companies, and corporations strengthen their employment tax structures and compliance systems.

Her portfolio at PwC covered diverse service areas including global mobility support, executive compensation, payroll management, and audit representation. She played a key role in advising multinational clients on employment policy design, compliance reviews, and contract structuring to prevent exposure to complex tax and social security liabilities. Her commitment to innovation led to the development of in-house payroll tools and compliance trackers that became standard practice within her team. Recognized for her outstanding leadership, she earned two rapid promotions in three years and received multiple commendations from PwC offices in Munich, London, and Boston for service excellence and technical expertise.

A Global Leader in Cross-Border Financial Strategy
Across her career, Olubukola Sanni has consistently demonstrated that tax compliance is not merely a legal requirement but a strategic function that drives organizational growth. Her expertise in aligning financial strategy with workforce mobility, coupled with her ability to navigate complex global regulations, has established her as one of the leading voices in cross-border tax and financial governance.

Her work continues to influence how multinational organizations operate efficiently across jurisdictions — setting new standards for transparency, cost optimization, and compliance in the global mobility and employment tax landscape.