In this episode, I sit down with someone I’ll be honest about: I knew a little going in — and left knowing a lot more.
Adam Alonso is a Barcelona-trained, fully qualified lawyer admitted to the Bar Association of Barcelona. He specialises in European VAT, Insurance Premium Tax, and the highly niche world of Spain’s Consorcio de Compensación de Seguros — operating at the intersection of public law, insurance regulation, and indirect tax.
In other words, Adam works where the map runs out.
What we talked about:
- From Spain to the UK — and everything in between
• Growing up between two countries, cultures, and ideas of “normal”
• Training as a lawyer in Barcelona
• A career built by saying “yes”
Adam’s journey spans:
• Big Four advisory
• In-house at a major gaming group
• Compliance and consultancy
• Building and leading a global VAT research team from scratch at a tax tech scale-up
We talk honestly about whether any of this was planned — or whether curiosity and interesting problems did most of the steering.
“Lost in Translation”
Borrowing the phrase from the film, we explore:
• What gets lost (and gained) when careers span languages, legal systems, tax regimes, and continents
• Why translation isn’t just linguistic — it’s cultural, professional, and personal
Building teams from scratch
• What “from scratch” really looks like
• Mistakes, surprises, and the parts nobody puts in the job description
Multiple vantage points on tax
Having seen tax from almost every angle — law firm, Big Four, in-house, tech — Adam shares:
• Which environment surprised him most
• What each perspective teaches that the others can’t
Optional deep dives
• One mindset shift businesses need around indirect tax
• Advice for tax professionals moving into tech-forward roles
Ice-breakers & the human side
Because tax people are still… people:
• A past life as a semi-professional table tennis player
• A love of Star Wars
• Favourite philosophical and funny quotes — impressions included
Serious sport, unexpected lessons
We dig into:
• What it takes to compete at semi-professional level
• The mindset, training, and sacrifice involved
• Why table tennis is far more brutal than people expect
Golf: the second act
• Does the competitive instinct carry over?
• Handicap goals, bucket-list courses, and why golf is a different challenge entirely
Final reflection
A Jedi philosophy.
A precision sport.
A game that humbles everyone eventually.
Tax is all three.
Learn the rules. Practice the moves.
And stop dreading the rally.
And then… a table tennis demonstration.
Topspin. Very clean. You’re welcome.
