FinArchives

1. In plain English, please describe your current role and function.

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Partner at a Big Four accounting firm specializing in cyber governance and risk management, primarily serving financial services clients. The role is focused on driving revenue through the delivery of advisory services, while also encompassing broader responsibilities such as team leadership and development, operational and financial oversight, and the innovation and enhancement of service offerings.

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2. On average, how is your time divided across quantitative work (e.g., financial analysis), qualitative work (research and writing), presentations (to investors, management, etc), and other tasks? Please describe what falls into ‘other.’

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Quantitative work: 10-20% time, budgets and financial tracking for ongoing projects and new work. Delivery management: 30-40% time, ensuring projects are progressing and outcomes are aligned from a quality and client expectation perspective. Client Management: 30%, maintaining relationships, finding new work. Internal management: 20%, people and internal networks. Most of my role is interactions and making decisions rather than doing the actual work.

 

3. Where did you attend college and what was your major/minor? Did you participate in any clubs in school or internships that you believe helped you decide what you wanted to pursue as your career? 

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University of Melbourne (Commerce and IT Degree) - Finance and Accounting major. Was part of accounting and finance student societies but predominantly from a social context. Friends had a larger impact on where I was looking from a career perspective. I did do a summer internship at the firm I currently work at.

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4. Do you have a graduate degree, and if so, what type?

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No graduate degree.

 

5. What about certifications like as a chartered financial analyst, certified public accountant, or other similar certifications? 

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Graduate diploma in chartered accounting (CPA in the USA). It was basically mandatory when I started 20 years ago, but I have moved away from accounting work and it isn't required for my job role anymore. If you work in the audit or the financial accounting side of the business it is mandatory for progression, it is recommended if you do tax work.

 

6. What did you wish you had known in college that would have made your transition into the working world smoother? 

 

As a first generation immigrant to Australia from SE Asia, the key information that I would have liked is an understanding of what key attributes are expected in 'white" corporate Australia. The cultural expectations Asian parents drill into you from an early age around respecting your elders/authority figures, not speaking up, lack of emphasis on networks/relationships, putting your head down and letting your work speak for itself are not necessarily the recipe for success.

 

7. How will the rising prominence of artificial intelligence (“AI”) impact your job and entry level jobs in your industry?

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Significant disruption to knowledge work as a whole, but predominantly at the entry level as my generative AI tool can achieve what my graduate could in a day or two in a few minutes, often to a better level of quality and accuracy. I tell my graduates that if they are just copying and pasting the output before sending it to me, then what is the value of having them in the workflow? I can prompt much more effectively, and I have the experience and knowledge to know if the output is wrong. So the impact to senior decision makers is that AI makes us more effective, but the challenge for entry level staff is how they effectively utilize the tool and still learn.

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8. What skills or qualities do you look for when hiring for an entry job level candidate?

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In my opinion, people and leadership skills are now more important than ever. Generative AI does analysis and coding work far more effectively than a human. So I look for graduates with the ability to communicate effectively and appear comfortable in the interaction. Interest/passion is the next thing and the ability to think critically and solve problems is also what I question. I prefer someone with a business or IT qualification from a top tier university, but it is less important these days.

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9. Is there any other information you would like to share that hasn’t been shared through the questions above?

 

N/A