The view from Gary Borg FCCA

I decided to go into accountancy after accepting that I wasn’t quite good enough to be a professional footballer. And after realising the cost of entry meant I was unlikely to become a Formula One driver, I then toyed with being stockbroker. I ended up joining a small telecoms company and met the first of several positive influences on my development and perspective. The finance director, Peter Welch, impressed me with his professionalism and the respect he commanded, and he encouraged me to pursue a career in accountancy.

My role is to provide financial sustainability, and manage performance and risk awareness, for the organisation. I also aim to deliver value, or at least price equity, to the community and enable elected members to make informed strategic decisions. We’re a small organisation with a huge remit, striving to deliver outcomes for our people that support their quality of life.

I start the day with a meticulous plan of what I need to accomplish and deliver. Then I tear that up and prepare for the phone call from the mayor or the general panic caused by the latest announcement from central government. Turns out I can still pretend I’m a hero, just in a business suit with a laptop.

My successful career in the UK gave me a platform to apply for jobs overseas and helped me achieve my dream of migrating to New Zealand. One of the attractions of a career in accountancy was the opportunity to understand every aspect of how an organisation operates, what makes it tick and to influence how to make it better. Previously I had only worked in the private sector, but I have found the diversity of working in local government provides these opportunities in so many rewarding ways.

My main challenge right now is delivering value. Costs were escalating already, but the global supply chain pressures caused by the pandemic are affecting our ability to compete for scarce resources at reasonable prices, and to attract and retain skilled people. At the same time, central government has initiated a range of reforms encompassing water services, resource management, health services and local government. Any one of these would be massive on their own. It’s all very fluid and diverting.

The main challenges facing accountants more broadly are complacency and a tech-fog stupor. We’ve all been in a room defending our existence to someone who says, ‘just press the button’. An audit partner recently told me he’d been discussing career options with his teenage son. The lad said he wouldn’t be following in his father’s footsteps because we’ll all be replaced by robots in a few years. We can’t afford to become slaves to technology and give ‘computer says no’ type responses. Analytical tools and AI are great if we use them effectively to grow as professional advisors and business partners.

The first time I really thought this could be the career for me was when I was working for a manufacturing company that had gone dangerously off course and recently been sold. I undertook some business modelling that eventually led to a reset that saved 40 jobs while restoring the company’s profitability.

At both councils I have worked for I have transformed the financial management reporting environment and, with my brilliant colleagues, delivered major long-term plans and strategies, on time. In this respect the most rewarding thing is gaining the confidence of the communities, and this includes the completion of a foundation course in te reo Māori and tikanga Māori.

My advice to the recently qualified is never take shortcuts – they will find you out. An ambitious young professional likes the idea of being fast-tracked, but gravity makes the return trip way faster. Make sure you have a firm base and build from there.

Outside of work I like most outdoor activities and sports. In fact, anything that gets me out of mobile-phone coverage.