Lend a hand and give back

Finance professionals in Asia are finding ways to give back to society when they reach the pinnacle of their careers. One way is by levering connections, both professional and personal.

Carl Yu FCCA, partner, audit and assurance, at RSM Hong Kong, says that his motivation for volunteering is one that focuses on helping others. ‘I have always loved being involved in different kinds of volunteer work, whether it is serving the elderly, children or those in need in the community,' he says.

Creating partnerships

Covid-19 transformed the way Yu engages in charity activities, particularly during Hong Kong’s recent wave, when activities requiring physical contact were suspended. Although this meant reducing in-person volunteering, Yu turned to his client list in order to pair them up with RSM Hong Kong’s charity partners. These included the Four Seas Group, a major food trader, which donated HK$200,000 (US$25,487) to two local charities: the Hong Kong Society for the Aged and Youth Outreach.

Yu also explored working with different NGOs to accelerate the delivery of supplies to the elderly living alone, vulnerable teenagers and low-income families.

Doing his best to support the community and putting in the effort drives Yu to help those in need. 'I believe in giving back to society and, at the same time, passing this message to those around me, including family and friends, colleagues and business partners.'

Corporate supporter

His active interest in helping others is echoed by the leadership team at RSM Hong Kong. The firm places a high value on giving back to the community working with selected and deserving NGOs, as well as looking to partner with those that serve different sections of the community.

‘As a professional firm, we provide reliable audit, tax, and consulting services to our clients. To become a trustworthy team for our clients, and at the same time support our society by leveraging our business and community network, is also our significant value and mission,' says Eugene Liu, managing partner at RSM Hong Kong. 'We encourage everyone to care for each other and overcome difficulties.’

Close to home

For Jim Woods, PwC’s chief risk and digital officer, the motivation to give back was inspired by personal experience.

Four years ago, he discovered that a family member had a serious mental health issue. Woods connected with Mind HK, a mental health charity founded in 2017, after attending a mental health awareness workshop. He has since become involved with the UK-based organisation Mind UK.

Woods has offered his skills to help professionalise Mind HK’s corporate setup, governance and financial management. He has worked closely with the charity’s finance manager as well as the CEO, and played an important role developing Mind HK’s 2022–24 strategy.

‘This involved looking at how to form a strategy within the current environment, business continuity planning, and how we are managing from a cash perspective to fund activities,’ he explains.

Woods is also active in mentoring staff, which involves meeting up for coffee, having a chat on life, and asking how they are doing.

Firm support

Although Woods’ role with Mind HK is an individual one, he can count on the support of his employer.

‘PwC views mental health as a critical challenge in society today. Encouraging our partners and our people to get engaged in community activities like this supports the firm’s corporate values to demonstrate care by way of time, listening and leadership encouragement and tone from the top.’

The value of such pro bono professional input for a non-profit is clear. Mind HK deputy CEO Carol Liang says: ‘We have several board members who have a financial background, many of whom have been with us since the very beginning. Their expertise has been integral to the growth of Mind HK, advising on our financial policies and processes, consulting on our operations and finances, and providing us with the right connections, day-to-day support, and skills when in need.

‘Board members with a business background have also been a sounding board for our team and have acted as mentors for senior management, which has been of tremendous help in supporting the growth of our work and team over the last few years.’

Woods adds that listening to people's mental health stories can be emotionally challenging but that being supportive of those who share their experiences is important. He cites the annual Mind HK media awards, which encourages ethical and balanced portrayals of mental health in the local media, as an inspirational event that conveys the message that it is ok to ask for help. 'We’re all different, but people who are willing to talk about what they have gone through – it’s a massive leveller because it doesn’t discriminate.'