Happy landing in Calgary

In February, when S M Omar FCCA stepped off the plane in Calgary, Canada, after flying from his home in Bangladesh, his first lesson was that he would need to wear two pairs of gloves at once. The temperature was -15°C and, safe to say, much colder than the climate he had just left behind.

Fortunately, Omar – one of many accountants using their ACCA Qualification to make international moves – was driven by a desire that couldn’t be extinguished by a little cold weather.

‘I am an explorer,’ he says. ‘I love different parts of the world. I love to be with different kinds of people of different nationalities, religions, races. That is what brought me to Canada – and it is such a welcoming country.’

Since his arrival, Omar has been working as an audit manager at MNP, one of the largest professional services firms in Canada. Omar applied for the role while working in Bangladesh. ‘My family and I feel so grateful as the job at MNP ensured that my Canadian dream could actually come true with my ACCA qualification,’ he says, recalling the tears of joy as he caught the flight from Dhaka, destined for Calgary.

Omar is used to travel. While he had started pursuing his ACCA Qualification in his home country of Bangladesh, he moved to Malaysia in 2013 to complete the course. He achieved ACCA Membership in 2017, becoming an FCCA in 2022. He started his career in Kuala Lumpur first with TC Liew & Co, then Lloyds Earle Panicker Malaysia, before moving to Baker Tilly.

During this time Omar also worked as an ACCA lecturer, as he had done in Bangladesh, which took him to many Malaysian states as well as Cambodia and Singapore.

Lecturing, he says, is one of the most satisfying parts of his career, giving him the opportunity to not only talk about theory but also marry it with his experience. Sharing his own knowledge is a significant part of Omar’s working life and a part of his career that he’s ‘really proud of’.

‘I am a wholehearted auditor,’ says Omar, ‘but then I go back to my classes, pour in my experience of audit and teach my students how to do an audit with all the real-world examples that I have.’

Attractive destination

Omar is one of many recruited to bolster Canada’s accountancy profession. In recent years, the country has become at attractive destination for accountants with the ACCA Qualification. According to Karen Cooper, MNP’s national vice president of human capital, there is an opportunity for ACCA members to ‘leverage’ their qualification to ‘distinguish’ themselves from others competing in the job market.

‘We have a healthy economy and strong global relationships,’ says Cooper, ‘which enable professionals to gain international exposure. Canada embraces diversity and multiculturalism, which is a welcoming environment for anyone looking to relocate.’

Local shortfall

The Canadian government forecasts that the country will need around 88,000 auditors and accountants by 2031, with immigration set to supplement local recruitment. Much of this comes from organic growth, but shortfalls in the Canadian workforce are compounded by recruiters luring accountants to the US. Baby boomers – born between 1946 and 1964 – are retiring in significant numbers, while people having children later are reducing the number of school graduates.

Generational attitudes are also playing a role in cutting entry to the accountancy and audit sector. Cooper points out that members of Gen Z – born from 1996 onwards – are ‘less attracted’ to the profession because of its poor reputation for work-life balance.

‘Without doubt, skilled talent is becoming harder to attract and retain,’ Cooper says. ‘At MNP we have more than 60 ACCA members spanning from senior accountant to partner. We can confidently say that ACCA members prove to be value-added hires, contributing an international perspective, strategic thinking and a diverse skillset.’

Client exposure

MNP has given Omar the chance to work with clients from a diverse range of sectors, which he believes to be the most exciting part of being an auditor. ‘The opportunity to audit clients with different financial reporting methodologies, operations and strategies, stakeholders, accountabilities and challenges makes audit a unique profession’, he says. ‘Audit is never boring!’

Omar says he is grateful to have the opportunity to continuously learn from MNP’s audit partners, and, specially feels indebted to Shawn Mincoff and Anand Beejan, Omar’s mentors and MNP’s senior assurance partners, for their constant guidance and support.

There has been a transition, of course, from working in Bangladesh and Malaysia to operating in the Canadian market. But that mostly comes down to working methods, which include a lot more software, allowing automation of a portion of the work. This is not intimidating for Omar as he believes new technology will free people to focus on ‘higher level decision-making’.

Of course, what underpins Omar’s ability to move from Asia to Canada is a qualification that is portable. ‘Wherever you go in the world, employers know ACCA and they recognise ACCA,’ he says. ‘I am blessed to have the FCCA designation and that’s what makes me relatable to clients.’

Omar is hoping to rise to partner some day, but for the time being it is being able to travel as an accountant that he views as a major achievement.

‘I really hope that I can set an example to many aspiring ACCA accountants, or many aspiring students who are thinking of joining, that ACCA can really take you beyond borders. That will definitely be my biggest achievement.’

Omar has recently been elected as a member of ACCA Canada Network Panel. ‘I am truly grateful to everyone who supported me in this process,’ he says. Back in Malaysia, Omar was a founding member of ACCA Young Members Network. ‘I believe in giving back to my ACCA community and, working towards further progress of ACCA members, qualification and recognition has been my passion for years.’