I graduated from Lingnan University in 2017 with a Bachelor of Business Administration, majoring in accounting. A scholarship, along with other opportunities, brought me from Malaysia to Hong Kong. During my undergraduate studies, I did several internships at Big Four and commercial firms. I felt that in-house position would allow me to develop a deeper understanding of a specific industry; I decided to apply for the position of accounting assistant in a technology company after graduation, where I started to gain practical accounting experience.
I believe that an accounting degree lays a strong foundation for professionals to pursue new opportunities in finance, business analytics and more. This is because accountants who possess strong accounting knowledge and analytical skills are professionals who can bring value and help organisations navigate the ever-changing business environment.
I am currently a commercial finance analyst for the DFI Retail Group. My main duties require me to be a reliable finance business partner, as well as provide financial analytics, and commercial and strategic support to commercial directors. I work closely with the commercial team to provide useful insights and commercial recommendations, which help drive end-to-end profitability improvement through advanced modeling, as well as analysis of both financial and non-financial data.
The best way to understand our own core personal values and interests is to be curious and never settle
Digital transformation and technology advancements are developing faster than ever before. It’s imperative that the accounting industry adapts to these changes and new ways of working in what is a very challenging environment.
Accounting professionals should understand the benefits of robotic process automation (RPA), and utilise such useful tools to automate and speed up tiresome manual tasks. They will then be able to shift their attention towards cultivating business partnerships with the commercial teams and provide more valuable insights that help to drive the business.
It is said that when we stop learning, we stop growing. I strongly agree with this. The best way to understand our own core personal values and interests is to be curious and never settle. The world is changing around us every day, and there is always something new and interesting to learn to keep us focused at being the best.
I am taking my own advice. I have just started a part-time MSc in Business Analytics at the Hong Kong Polytechnic University. In my current role, I deliver useful insights using my analytics skills, which help my stakeholders in the decision-making process.
Always be confident and determined to forge your own path. We should follow our own passions as well as understand and embrace our own advantages.
We must also understand our own core values and let these guide our actions. This will strengthen our decision-making, foster openness and collaboration, and allow us to carve out our own fulfilling experiences.
