‘Why do you want to be an accountant?’ This was a question Foong Daw Ching, founding partner of TFWLCL (now known as Baker Tilly Singapore), asked me when I’d completed the ACCA exams in 2006 and was applying for an audit position. Fifteen years later, I would like to tell him that becoming an accountant is like a key that opens a door to the corporate world and countless possibilities.
Traditional accountants are often stereotyped as boring, monotonous number-crunchers who sit in an office all day. However, this does not apply to my career. I have travelled to Japan, Thailand, Malaysia, Indonesia, India and different cities in China for various assignments, as well as an unforgettable secondment experience with an associate office in Australia.
While giving a presentation about my ‘unique travel experiences’ at my daughter’s primary school, one student thought I must be a tour guide.
There is a joke about who leads digital transformation in an organisation: is it the CEO or CTO? Neither: it’s Covid-19
After eight years as an auditor, I decided to explore the corporate world and do something different. In 2014, I joined Lobb Heng, a commodity trading company specialising in non-ferrous base metals and warehouse logistics, as finance manager.
Commodity trading is a fast-paced and competitive industry, where prices and information change rapidly. It was a steep learning curve in the first year. After five years, I was promoted to financial controller, overseeing the finance and treasury functions, as well as group risk management and business development.
I’m lucky to be living in the internet age, with advanced technology and in a ‘smart’ city. I can’t imagine how we’d have coped if a pandemic such as this had happened pre-internet. Thanks to technological advancements, our business has been able to carry on with minimal disruption. On the other hand, the pandemic has also accelerated digitisation. There is a joke about who leads digital transformation in an organisation: is it the CEO or CTO? Neither: it’s Covid-19.
Following recent corporate scandals in Singapore, concerns have been raised about how to restore the country’s reputation as one of the biggest commodity trading hubs in Asia. Some suggest strengthening the regulatory framework, while others say we should harness technology. Generally, many agree that most businesses, including in the commodity market, will be transformed and digitised in the near future, with blockchain a key part of this. However, blockchain currently lacks standardisation and scalability.
Outside of work, I enjoy reading, watching films, family vacations and listening to music. In 2017, I started learning piano with my daughter. If I weren’t an accountant, I’d like to have been an animator, which is something I’m fascinated by and admire when watching fun and lively Pixar films.
