I studied accounting and finance at university while living in the UK. I was torn between pursuing a career in banking or accountancy, and accepted a role in securities services at a bank after my postgraduate studies. I embarked on my ACCA studies but found I couldn’t apply my knowledge in my day-to-day role, so I found a job at a local accounting firm in Cambridgeshire as a trainee accountant.
The ACCA auditing module introduced me to forensic accounting and liquidation. I was so curious about the kinds of work involved in corporate recovery that, after gaining the ACCA qualification, I decided to explore corporate recovery on my return to Hong Kong.
I was employed by a small accounting firm as a senior accountant in its forensic department and handled some liquidation work too. In the past 10 years, I’ve worked at several corporate recovery companies and gained varied experience in forensic accounting, insolvency and receivership.
I like investigating a business’s affairs and tracing transactions to check for malfeasance
I’m currently a manager in the restructuring department at Kroll, working specifically in receivership and liquidation. Receivership is interesting; liquidation is challenging. Receivers will take possession of a secured asset and recover any outstanding debt for the secured creditors. Receivers will run the business and preserve the asset’s value until it is sold. I have to communicate with management offices, agents and lawyers in order to manage and sell secured assets.
There are different kinds of liquidation in Hong Kong such as court-ordered liquidation, creditors’ voluntary liquidation and members’ voluntary liquidation. The size, industry, management of companies, and reasons for failure differ. Liquidators investigate a company’s affairs, specifically looking for unfair preferences, malfeasance and so on. I like investigating a business’s affairs and tracing transactions to check for malfeasance.
It’s likely that insolvency and receivership practitioners in Hong Kong will remain busy in 2024. According to the Official Receiver’s Office, in 2023 there were 566 compulsory winding-up petitions presented and 354 winding-up orders made, a 16.8% rise on 2022.
I really want to go further in corporate recovery. I want to develop my technical skills and client management to reach more senior positions and share my experience with graduates wanting to join the accounting profession or corporate recovery.
My husband and I studied ACCA and obtained the qualification together
My parents and family have always been my biggest supporters. My parents let me choose my own course of study and provided great support while I was studying accounting and finance as an undergraduate, and finance decision analysis as a postgraduate in the UK. My husband has inspired me along this career path too: we studied ACCA and obtained the qualification together.
In my spare time, I listen to music and read books. They’re both relaxing and help to kick work pressures away. At the weekend, it’s family time. My husband and I take our kids to the park, the cinema or shopping. My kids being happy is the biggest motivation to work hard every day.
