For me, the field of finance offers a vast array of opportunities spread across the world. It allows me to mould and build the type of skillset I want. I’ve progressively developed my skills throughout my career, and they now include problem-solving, analytical thinking and the provision of multiple deliverables under often tight time constraints.
Put simply, finance opens doors to global opportunities. That is particularly the case given how financial basics and accounting principles are uniform across the world. You therefore get to choose challenging tasks anywhere you want. My own career has taken me from Kyrgyzstan – I graduated from the American University of Central Asia in Bishkek – and the US, to a first job as audit associate in KPMG’s Moscow office, then Kazakhstan and New Zealand, where I’m based now.
I really enjoy solving complex tasks and generally being part of a big team
I’m currently a senior business analyst at Woolworths New Zealand, one of the country’s major fast-moving consumer goods players. As part of the financial planning and analysis team, I feel privileged to work alongside many great professionals. I also really enjoy learning about retail every day, solving complex tasks, and generally being part of a big team, making life a little better every day for Kiwis all over the country.
ACCA has been pivotal in my professional growth. The pathway to the ACCA qualification has helped me become a humble, thoughtful and diligent person, and my biggest achievement to date has been inspiring someone else to pursue a career in finance and choose ACCA as a foundation for their professional journey.
My biggest career influences are my mentors, my peers and, of course, my family. Their guidance, motivation and inspiration has been essential throughout my career, and I’m sure will continue to be so for many years to come.
I want to be an inspiration to the younger generation coming up through the ranks
Over the next few years, my dreams and aspirations revolve around continuing my professional development and widening my skillset. In particular, I want to be an inspiration to the younger generation of finance professionals coming up through the ranks.
In my spare time, I love taking my kids to one of Auckland’s beaches or parks. Auckland is amazing – you can be downtown in a big city environment one minute, with skyscrapers, traffic, people rushing everywhere, and then only a short trip away you’re by the sea, taking a boat to one of the islands or looking at beautiful views from one of the surrounding hills.
