I have enjoyed the concept of accounting ever since my school years, mainly because it is so practical. The idea of helping companies save on tax and manage their finances better appealed to me. I was an active participant in accounting lectures and used to help my friends solve their study challenges. My brother, who is an accountant, also inspired me; he showed me the opportunities and benefits available to members of the profession.
I started my professional career in 2009, after taking my ACCA final exams with PwC Pakistan. I joined PwC as an audit associate and was senior associate by 2013. I worked on multiple audit engagements, principally for companies in banking and insurance, and the automobile industry. In 2014, I joined fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) business Reckitt Benckiser as an assistant manager finance. I was responsible for responding to tax queries and was also given the chance to perform internal audit tasks.
My job helps me to think like a C-suite executive
The following year, I joined American water technology company Xylem as a financial analyst. I worked in Xylem’s Dubai office, which takes care of 21 countries in the region. I was responsible for accounting and reporting, while also working on financial planning and analysis.
In 2019, I joined Cleveland Clinic Abu Dhabi as senior financial analyst. I am involved in making strategic investment decisions, helping the clinical side evaluate capital investment based on financial data. I also build productivity models and carry out performance evaluations of the company. What I like about my job is that it helps me to think like a C-suite executive while also presenting financials to the business on a monthly basis.
Cleveland Clinic is a specialised hospital where complicated procedures such as organ transplants take place. Patients all over the Middle East visit us for treatment rather than travelling further afield. As Saudi Arabia develops, we expect the inflow of patients to increase.
Professional scepticism is key in my role. Often, the business is asked about unanticipated expenses and why these were not budgeted for. The financial analyst has to go deep down to gather the information required for analysis and must then be able to present the data in an understandable and professional manner.
Anyone born in a Middle Eastern country should be entitled to a passport for life
I believe in equality of opportunity. If I had law-making powers, anyone born in a Middle Eastern country would be entitled to a passport for life, whatever their family origin or heritage.
I count my biggest achievement as being chosen employee of the year among a team of eight, when I was with Xylem. I was given the opportunity to visit Xylem’s Austria office to perform internal audit process testing and provide recommendations on how techniques might be improved. This allowed me to observe the systems and documentation used by finance colleagues in Austria which provided useful learning.
If I wasn’t in finance, I would have done a degree in marketing. I’d like to have worked on business development for an FMCG company.
I am a social animal and like to meet people, both inside and outside the workplace. I love to spend quality time with my family, but other interests include trying new restaurants, attending board-game nights, stand-up comedy shows and art exhibitions. I especially enjoy attending social and networking meetups organised by ACCA within the UAE.
