Kate Barton has been navigating unprecedented change in tax systems around the planet since becoming EY’s global vice chair for tax and legal services in early 2018.

Trade wars and Brexit are roiling markets and expectations, and countries are scrambling for their share of corporate revenue while trying to transform their tax regimes for the digital-commerce age.

The OECD aims for consensus by 2020 in its project on tax system modernization, but as Barton points out, “these are in fact guidelines, and then 140 countries have to read these and then legislate their own country legislation.” Interesting, she says, especially “in a world right now where we seem to be a little more nationalistic.”

Talking Tax host Amanda Iacone talked with Barton about all of that and more, including EY’s legal managed services business and diversity.