Ernest Wong FCCA, ACCA Council member, has died aged 58.
Ernest joined the ACCA Hong Kong committee in 2014 and served on the professional development and SME sub-committees. He chaired the ACCA Hong Kong member committee in 2020-21 and was elected to our Council in 2021.
He enjoyed a professional career packed with interesting and influential roles. Most recently he was CFO of an international financial services firm and served in voluntary roles with ACCA and The University of Hong Kong.
‘Ernest embodied all the qualities we seek in our Council, with a passion and dedication to ACCA and the profession,' said ACCA president Melanie Proffitt. 'His extensive experience and wisdom greatly enriched our discussions both in Council and the Remuneration Committee, which he chaired. I know I speak on behalf of us all when I say that he will be greatly missed.’
One of Ernest’s great qualities was his endless curiosity and hunger for learning. He gained his early experience working with venture capital investment, especially in ICT, and he was eager to learn more about that world. That inspired him to follow an MSc in electronic engineering at the Chinese University of Hong Kong, to add to his first degree in finance and accounting.
‘It meant I could speak as an equal to investors and technicians, to understand their business and their motivation,’ he said.
He also gained an MSc in major programme management from the Saïd Business School at the University of Oxford.
Ernest loved giving back to the profession that had freed him to follow such a fascinating and varied career. When he joined Council he said: ‘If I can help any of my fellow accountants and ACCA members, I am happy to do that.’
Away from business Ernest’s passions included playing golf. ‘Golf teaches you that even when your swing isn’t going good, you have to forget the bad moments and think about the next stroke,' he said. ‘Don’t worry about what has gone. Look ahead. In that way golf is great mental training, and it is a great teacher.’
Melanie said: ‘I will greatly miss Ernest’s warmth, camaraderie and wise counsel.'
