When I was in post-secondary education, I felt drawn towards accounting. A former colleague then inspired me to restart my career in accounting, so while working in public practice I gained my ACCA qualification.
For the first 10 years of my career, I worked with Deloitte and PwC, where I enhanced my technical capabilities and professionalism. I now work in the finance function of an EU agency, which helps member states apply the EU laws that govern relevant areas.
Accounting gives great opportunities to step out of your comfort zone. For me, this was when I was still an ACCA student and the firm I worked for assigned me to a forensic audit as part of a fraud investigation. This initially seemed to be an impossible task, with a perpetrator who concealed the true nature of transactions and employees who were unwilling to cooperate. However, I managed to help complete the assignment thanks to my perseverance.
I have always learned when I kept an open mind and a sense of humility
AI is changing finance in the public sector. Through intelligent automation, AI will support forecasting in complex scenarios and allow accountants to produce more accurate budgets, which are heavily scrutinised in the public sector. Routine processing tasks will be automated, but we must ask how we will maintain sustainable succession planning, with AI replacing many entry-level tasks. However, if we understand how the accountant’s role is being revolutionised by AI and what skills are needed in the current digital landscape, there will still be jobs for graduates.
I do not have a single favourite quote, but I do like this simple mantra: ‘Never stop learning’. I believe that to be the best version of ourselves we need to acknowledge that, even with experience, we still know relatively nothing compared to the learning opportunities available. I have always learned when I kept an open mind and a sense of humility; I am currently pursuing an MSc in accountancy at the University of London.
If I had law-making powers, I would link indirect taxation to sustainability issues. I believe this would make people more conscious of sustainability and could reduce tax evasion, as citizens could relate the payment of their taxes and environmental sustainability.
Working in multinational environments cultivates a broader perspective of the world
What I like about my role is collaborating with people who come from different backgrounds, both from a cultural and professional perspective. One of the benefits of working with EU agencies is that you work in multinational environments, which cultivates a broader perspective of the world. As one collaborates with many different professions you can only grow from these assignments.
I would say my biggest professional achievement was when I qualified with ACCA and my promotion to manager at PwC. However, in my personal life my greatest achievement was when I became a parent.
If I weren’t a qualified accountant, I would have liked a career in either arts or humanities, especially the literary arts. I’ve always been drawn to creative writing, because it allows the author to analyse and explore culture in subtle ways through characters and symbols.
When I’m not at work, I enjoy hiking and reading, and currently I’m attempting to learn French. I also have a keen interest in cooking, as I find it to be the best way to detach myself from work while simultaneously providing something that pleases my family.
