I’m good at maths, so when I went to university at the National Institute of Management I chose accounting as a major subject in the third year. My first job was as an external auditor at Big Four firm KPMG, which was my dream job after graduation. KPMG was always recruiting from the university and promoting careers in audit.
I’m currently CFO at FWD Cambodia. FWD Group is a pan-Asian life insurance business with approximately 10 million customers across 10 markets, including some of the fastest-growing insurance markets in the world. In Cambodia, FWD officially started in September 2021 and was awarded Most Innovative New Digital Insurer in Cambodia by the UK’s Global Business Outlook magazine.
Spending a few dollars a day on insurance is to celebrate living
Cambodians have been somewhat hesitant about the concept of insurance. Life Insurance is a relatively new concept to Cambodian culture, as it was introduced around 10 years ago. We will continue to promote awareness and understanding, as well as trust in the insurance industry. This aligns with FWD’s vision to change the way people feel about insurance. I would also like to be a part of the change and to see people being protected by insurance policies. Spending a few dollars a day on insurance is to celebrate living.
An important thing I’ve learnt in my career is the value of inclusiveness. Going back to 2015-16, I’d learnt a lot from my team’s feedback and engagement survey, I’d joined the ASEAN Leaders Programme and a few leadership programmes provided by a previous employer. Generally, finance’s engagement score has been below other business functions such as sales, marketing and operations. However, this can be improved through understanding and respect within a team, which is the most important foundation for inclusivity.
Inclusiveness is important, especially with young teams, because you get the best ideas through their skill and talents
The key take-away is team empowerment through acceptance of individual uniqueness. I always take this with me wherever I go and apply it to my personal and work life. However, it cannot be achieved without the support of a goal-oriented team. Inclusiveness is important, especially dealing with young and dynamic teams, because you get the best ideas through their skill and talents. It empowers teams and it’s highly engaging.
The ACCA qualification meant I was able to change my career from internal auditor to finance manager and then to CFO. The reason for my change of roles was the result of the CEO at ANZ Royal Bank asking me about the career paths linked to my ACCA qualification. I’m inspired by the people around me, such as my team, manager, friends and mentors, who always challenge me to achieve a higher role. None of it, though, could be done without the strong support of my parents.
My biggest achievement so far is becoming an ACCA member in 2008, along with 25 other candidates in Cambodia. We’re a high-performance group who keep in touch, and it’s great getting to see their individual growth to this day.
