Liz Loxton speaks to this year’s ACCA public sector advocates in the US and Canada – Ayaz Wadia and Jayrani Bungsy, respectively – about how they have used their qualifications throughout their careers and importance of ‘giving back’.
Ayaz Wadia FCCA
Ayaz Wadia, the ACCA’s public sector advocate of the year in the US, works for the federal government in tax compliance and examination. As a financial products specialist for the US Treasury’s Internal Revenue Service (IRS) in its Large Business & International Division, he works in a challenging niche area of compliance – the tax treatment of financial instruments.
Prior to that, he worked for the City of Houston in various roles, including overseeing the implementation of a city-wide ERM (Enterprise Risk Management) project, and the accounting and financial management of grants. Today, he has eight years of public sector accounting and auditing experience under his belt.
'ACCA looks at things at a global level. It’s not confined to one jurisdiction, one geography or one industry'
Wadia’s career journey in the US was far from straightforward, however. Having all-but completed his ACCA training in Karachi, Pakistan, he moved to the US for family reasons in 2013. Finding a role to match his aspirations, wasn’t easy. At that time, he found comparatively little recognition of ACCA, even among managing partners of bigger accountancy firms.
His first job in the US was an entry-level role at a mobile phone store, where eventually he persuaded the owner that he was more than qualified to take on bookkeeping and worth more than the menial tasks his day-to-day work suggested.
Wadia only needed to take two further exams to complete his ACCA Qualification, but with little early success in the job market, starting from scratch and pursuing the CPA at this stage was an open question. ‘Here in the US, the local chartered accountancy qualification is well recognised,’ he says. ‘But I value ACCA. I chose it for a reason, and so I stuck with it.’
Educating recruiters
Sticking with it meant educating recruiters and finance directors in the US about the value of his qualification, presenting to them mid-interview on its merits.
As he made progress in his career, he would readily take up opportunities to talk in CPD sessions about the ACCA Qualification. His message eventually hit home. One of the divisional directors at the City of Houston recruited a second ACCA candidate and made a point of letting Wadia know.
Wadia eventually completed his ACCA Qualification, travelling to New York to sit one of the remaining examinations and paying a local specialist training centre to organise for him to sit the other.
'It’s a matter of giving back to the profession’
He would eventually go on to sit the CPA and, even here, the strengths of his ACCA background gave him a solid foundation. As Wadia says: ‘I would not have been able to do that without my ACCA Qualification. The CPA was like a refresher for me. ACCA looks at things at a global level. It’s not confined to one jurisdiction, one geography or one industry.’
Having fought to secure suitable and meaningful work, Wadia is keen that other ACCA accountants don’t have to follow such a tough path. As well as contributing to CPD sessions at various events, he attends roundtables, has spoken at ACCA events, and is head of his local ACCA chapter as well as the current chair for the ACCA USA members.
Wadia understands better than most the fact that doors might not automatically open for ACCA members who are new to the US and so he makes a point of seeking them out and offering assistance – mentoring and helping with resumé writing and interview preparation. ‘The dynamics here are different. I try and guide and mentor people, even sitting with individuals one-to-one,’ he says. ‘I know what recruiters are looking for and I’ve been in hiring positions myself.’
He is guided by the principle of giving back – both to the community and to ACCA. He loves to help whenever he can. ‘It’s a matter of giving back to the profession,’ he says.
For his outstanding efforts, in 2018 Wadia was awarded Bravo award by the City of Houston Mayor presented in front of City Council under the public service recognition week.
Jayrani Bungsy FCCA
Jayrani Bungsy, ACCA’s public sector advocate of the year for Canada, is a seasoned bilingual audit professional whose passion and dedication goes beyond her representation of ACCA.
As senior internal auditor at the Regional Municipality of Peel, the municipal government in Southern Ontario, Canada, her primary role is to assist the audit and risk committee in ensuring the region is operating in a fiscally responsible and accountable manner. The objective is to provide this committee with assurance that regional programmes are working effectively and are being delivered efficiently.
Bungsy works with the senior executive team and colleagues throughout the region to assist in the achievement of business and organisational objectives. She leaves no stone unturned in auditing all elements of governance, risk management and controls. adding that she enjoys the variety of in her role, the work culture, the team accomplishments, and the sheer level of interaction.
‘Internal audit is a challenging and amazing career,' she says. 'You get involved throughout the whole organisation across different departments and divisions– procurement, human resources, IT, finance – as you move around. It gives me the opportunity to meet with people across all functions of the organisation and i get to enjoy adding value and purpose to my role.’
'ACCA members who get support from their professional associations will learn how to acclimatise'
The internal audit team provides assurance and advisory services to the Peel Region and also gets involved in fraud investigations and enterprise risk management. Bearing this in mind, Bungsy calmly says: ‘All this is really challenging, but I really love my job. It is not like you sit at your desk and do a specific task every day. It is challenging, motivating and you get the opportunity to meet people, learn and advise on how to help support in achieving the business and organizational objectives within specific environments.’
Bungsy has a rich career track record that includes internal audit positions with HSBC in Canada, organisations in Ontario such as the Ontario Ministry of Finance as well as international public sector roles. In her country of origin - she moved from Mauritius to Canada in 2012 - she was a senior internal auditor the Ministry of Finance and Economic Development.
Her ACCA qualification has, she says, immensely supported her to stand out in a competitive and international work environment. It is particularly beneficial, she says, for both the country, the institutions and the accounting profession that professionals who move to a new country are enabled to contribute to the economy while allowing them to continue in what they are engineered to do. A case in point: on moving to Canada in 2012, she was recognised as a valuable team member and landed her first job, at HSBC, within a week.
‘It was a wonderful experience for me. I know there are lots of professionals who move to Canada and struggle to be recognised for their skills, abilities, and motivations,' she says. 'Finding a break swiftly in my field helped me believe in the Canadian system, reinforced my decision to move here and to feel productive by hitting the ground running. ACCA members who get the adequate support from their professional associations will learn how to acclimatise to the environment, advancing their careers and the country’s growth at a much steady and faster pace.'
In addition, Bungsy has recently completed a Global MBA from the University of London, a qualification that took her two and half years to complete instead of five, due to the exemptions when holding the ACCA qualification.
'It has been a rich experience, connecting with like-minded people, and sharing your experiences and views'
Mentoring
It comes as no surprise, then, that as well as being an active and vocal advocate for internal audit, that she always contributes to ACCA members to promote the qualification and strengthen connections within the ACCA Canada network.
Bungsy’s advocacy for ACCA includes mentoring younger members, connecting with those who are newcomers to Canada and promoting the qualification at educational events. She makes a priority of being a point contact for younger members and new immigrants, guiding them and providing them with as much support as she can.
‘It has been a rich experience, connecting with like-minded people, and sharing your experiences and views,' she says. 'I’m proud of ACCA as my professional designation and would be willing to help anyone wanting to move forward with their career to take on the ACCA Qualification journey, because it is globally recognised.
‘Throughout my career, I have experienced first-hand the impact and how much the ACCA is respected. I would say that ACCA is a global passport.'
