ETL Future Stars 2026 Sets the Stage for Our Next Generation of Talent
ETL GLOBAL UK is proud to celebrate the results of ETL Future Stars 2026, an initiative bringing together emerging talent from across the ETL GLOBAL group to collaborate, compete and build connections across borders.
A Programme for the Group’s Next Generation
Now in its third edition, the ETL Future Stars Competition took place from 9–11 September 2026 in Podivín, Czech Republic, organised jointly by ETL GLOBAL UK and ETL Spain.
Twenty-three young professionals from across the ETL GLOBAL group came together to tackle a cross-border case study centred on the relocation of an international headquarters. Working in multinational teams, participants were challenged to develop practical solutions while considering the different legal, tax and regulatory frameworks that apply across jurisdictions.
The programme provides an opportunity for participants to broaden their international perspective, learn from colleagues in other markets and develop the collaborative skills needed to support clients with increasingly complex cross-border needs.
The UK Delegation
This year’s participants represented seven countries: Germany, the United Kingdom, Vietnam, Spain, Slovakia, Poland and the Czech Republic. ETL GLOBAL UK was represented by ten professionals, the largest national delegation at this year’s competition, drawn from partner firms across the group.
Anette Holzinger, Partner and co-founder of the programme, explained the thinking behind Future Stars:
“We decided to start a programme for them, where they can start working with colleagues from abroad and solve a case. They start working together, they enjoy the company of each other, and they see how easy it can be to work cross-border.”
For participants, the opportunity to work alongside colleagues from different professional and jurisdictional backgrounds was a key part of the experience.
Ryan Baratzi, Corporate Solicitor at Glaisyers ETL and one of this year’s UK Future Stars, said:
“A highlight is just working as a group, going through a task that I wouldn’t usually approach. It’s been great seeing different people’s perspectives and how their jurisdictions work.”
Judging panel
The teams presented their solutions to a senior judging panel representing different parts of the ETL GLOBAL group: Riccardo Benussi, Anette Holzinger, David Jones, Vojtech Sucharda, Juan Bermúdez Claveria and Jörg Horauf.
The panel assessed the teams’ approaches to the case study, with the competition providing an opportunity for participants to demonstrate their technical knowledge, commercial thinking and ability to collaborate across jurisdictions.
The Winning Team
The winning team was Team Lyra, comprising Sarin Cooray of Wilder Coe, Adele Edwards of Laytons ETL, Martin Južanin of ETL Audit CZ and Iryna Kucheriava of Dravecký & Partner.
Two members of the winning team came from ETL GLOBAL UK, with Sarin and Adele working alongside their colleagues from the Czech Republic and Slovakia to develop the successful solution.
The result highlights the value of bringing together professionals with different areas of expertise, experiences and perspectives, one of the key aims of the Future Stars programme.
Looking ahead
ETL Future Stars is part of ETL GLOBAL UK’s continued commitment to developing emerging talent and strengthening connections between professionals across the group.
For participants, the programme offers more than a competition. It provides an opportunity to build international relationships, gain insight into different markets and develop the experience and confidence to collaborate across borders.
Team Lyra will now take their winning result to the ETL GLOBAL International Conference in Warsaw, where the team will be recognised in front of ETL GLOBAL leadership from across the group.
Congratulations to Team Lyra and to all the professionals who took part in ETL Future Stars 2026.
