Reach for the sky

When Corby arrived in Dubai in 2006, the skyline had already been transformed by the sail-shaped Burj Al Arab hotel and the award-winning Emirates Towers. She has since witnessed other stellar feats of engineering, such as One Za’abeel, whose two skyscrapers are linked by a 230m-long, 9,500-tonne bridge.

‘It is absolutely incredible, being on some of these construction sites from the day the foundations were being laid, and then years later walking through an iconic hotel or visiting a project that we knew to be hugely challenging,’ Corby says. ‘I remember standing in the foundations of One Za’abeel with just this vision of how they were going to build the bridge, ratchet it up the towers and suspend it to become this magnificent cantilevered bridge against Dubai’s skyline. It’s just mind-blowing.’

Glass, steel and finance

Corby’s relationship with her clients is clearly built on respect for these feats of engineering as well as an understanding of their audit and assurance needs and the financial obstacles in managing and funding long-term and highly complex projects.

The global financial crisis, for instance, brought memorable challenges. ‘International contractors wanted to find out what it meant for them, how were they going to get paid,’ she recalls.

She describes the past few months as ‘turbulent’ and has ‘huge admiration for the leadership’ in the way they have dealt with the challenges, working hard ‘to make sure that everything that has been built over the last 30 or 40 years is preserved’.

Even today, operational issues such as forecasting profits, predicting and managing the expected outcomes of claims, and justifying additional investment have to be translated into accounting judgments and disclosures, which help investors and stakeholders understand the complexity involved in the financial reporting of an entity dealing with long-term contracts.

By engaging with construction leaders and going out to site, Corby has built a deep understanding – and lasting passion – for the industry. An early innovation was the GCC Powers of Construction report. Realising that operators and investors needed to understand the opportunities as well as the challenges locally, she decided to launch the annual publication, which is now in its 14th year and proudly reflects the voice of key industry stakeholders.

Sector champion

But Corby has done more than explain and probe the challenges, taking the debate about the industry’s pain points to the highest levels in Dubai. Interactions through the Construction Working Group at the British Chamber of Commerce Dubai (BCCD) led to chairing the committee, and then being elected by members for a board role, which in turn opened doors to conversations with the Dubai Chamber of Commerce (DCC).

‘The DCC takes a collective approach,’ she says, ‘and collaborates with industry leaders about what might be changed so that businesses can prosper and align with Dubai’s Vision 2040. It was a privilege to be able to represent the industry’s views, which the BCCD collects through surveys and stakeholder engagement, to them.

‘We were able to highlight the challenges contractors were facing in building some of the world’s most iconic projects and where change was required in the capital project life cycle.’

As a high-profile woman in Deloitte and the construction sector, she knows that visibility for women can also open doors for the next generation. Here, the government has set the pace, she says, appointing women to government-entity boards as well as in ministerial positions. Both the UAE and Dubai governments have females in senior cabinet roles, she says. The private sector, however, lags behind.

One exception is a recently listed construction group, which has two women as non-executive directors: Kamillia AlMarashi FCCA and Farah Foustok. ‘I don’t see many private companies with that kind of profile yet,’ Corby says. ‘And we need more women so that you don’t see the same woman being appointed to boards everywhere.’

What goes around…

Corby has shown what can be achieved in career terms when there is a willingness to take up more responsibility. The profession repays the favour, she believes, with varied roles for women and an understanding of the desire to balance family and working life.

‘I’ve stayed in the profession for as long as I have because of the flexibility it afforded me,’ she says. ‘The diversity in terms of the clients you get to work with, the industries you can work in, the things you’re exposed to in terms of all these different economic cycles and stakeholders you engage with in the C-suite – all that has kept me inspired and motivated. If you join a professional services firm and have the right mindset to embrace the opportunities and challenges that come your way, so many different doors open for you and you develop a huge variety of skills along the journey.’

ACCA has also provided her with opportunities to take more responsibility, make connections and help to influence professional life in the Middle East. She has also led ACCA’s Women in Finance initiative for 14 years. ‘That’s been really enjoyable. You get all these young women who have just qualified and are looking for role models and opportunities.’

An active role in ACCA life locally, the opportunity to work with the wider business community, being a leader in a professional services firm, a mentor, and an audit partner in charge of some of the world’s most iconic construction projects – all have provided a rich working life.

The locality and mindset of the people have been important too, she says. ‘When you’ve got a country that’s got such vision and is pushing to deliver its vision at such a fast pace, you also need to evolve and grow and change the way you think, how you apply yourself and come up with solutions. For me, it’s all about your mindset and how willing you are to embrace change and opportunity.’