Sometimes we find the best things when we are not actually looking. I more or less stumbled into accounting when I applied for the PwC graduate intake programme in Ghana in 2011. I took to it like a duck to water and haven't looked back.
For me, working in a practice role was the best way to become an accountant. Clients would look to me for answers, and I had to provide them. It was stretching, but helped me to learn faster and become stronger.
When my eight-year-old niece tells me she doesn’t know what she wants to be in the future, that resonates with me as I've been there myself. I’m convinced she’ll be successful because I’ve been her.
The success of audit lies in adding value, which can only happen if results are relevant to circumstances
After working in a practice role for seven years, I was ready to move on to something different. I set my sights on a job at the United Nations. Even though I had already worked on audits of non-governmental organisations and international agencies, it was a challenge as the UN recruitment programme is very competitive. I applied multiple times for different roles before I was selected.
I left my home country in April 2019 to serve in Lebanon. I am based in the Middle East regional audit office in Naqoura, a small city in southern Lebanon, where I perform internal audit functions in UN peacekeeping missions in the region. Lebanon is a beautiful country and its people welcomed me warmly, as did the large community of Ghanaians serving here.
Auditing in the UN over the past two years has been both interesting and challenging. It is satisfying to be able to apply my skills and experience in a role that seems so different from my practice role, and yet is so similar. The world of audit is certainly vast!
The explosion that occurred in Beirut in August 2020 was tragic for the entire nation. It happened at a time when Lebanon, just like the rest of the world, was still deep in the COVID-19 crisis. As an auditor, my concern was the impact on my clients.
The success of audit lies in its ability to add value, and that can only happen when results are relevant to existing circumstances. My ACCA Qualification and my experience have come together to help me add value even in times of such uncertainty.
What I enjoy about my job is learning new things. Being an auditor gives me the opportunity to do that, as every organisation is different. I find it interesting that after a single audit, I know so much more about the subject matter than many people who work in the organisation I’m auditing.
It is difficult to choose what my biggest achievement has been. All of my experiences have combined to bring me to where I am today. Perhaps it’s easier to talk about my most important strength, which is that I seek continuous improvement by challenging myself and taking advantage of opportunities as they come.
If I wasn’t an accountant, I think I’d have been an engineer. Physics and maths were my top subjects in high school, and of course I love numbers. My degree is in actuarial science.
After a hard day’s work I love to have me-time – moments to relax and unwind. Since Covid-19, I’ve enjoyed discovering new recipes. Now, my idea of a perfect Friday night is a TV show and a plate of home made brownies with ice cream.
