I come from a community where all the people I know run their own businesses, so enterprise is in my blood. However, I chose the ACCA qualification because I wanted to understand finance on an international scale rather than stay within the domestic sphere.
I became an FCCA in 2025 and I have spent more than nine years in finance, mostly delivering reporting and finance operations for UK clients. I have now begun an MBA at Cranfield University to build my strategic and management capability alongside my finance expertise.
Outsourcing means getting tasks done by the best people available, no matter where they are
I believe financial services outsourcing, the model SandMartin follows, will keep expanding because it lets companies draw on talent from around the world without anyone having to relocate. Outsourcing means getting tasks done by the best people available, no matter where they are.
AI is another boon for this model, as it suits many of the repetitive tasks in accounting. It frees people to spend more time on analysis and the judgment-based side of our work, although it makes human supervision more important than ever.
The biggest step out of my comfort zone was leaving my role and moving to the UK to study for my MBA. I was born and brought up in India, and my education and career have all taken place there. So while I am excited, I am also nervous about being so far from family and friends, in a very different country.
This is my favourite saying, from Elif Shafak’s novel The Forty Rules of Love: ‘East, west, south or north makes little difference. No matter what your destination, make sure every journey is a journey within. If you travel within, you’ll travel the whole world and beyond.’ This ideal has always stayed close to my heart.
What I enjoy most about my work is the rhythm
What I enjoy most about my work is the rhythm. There are deliverables every week, month, quarter and year, yet every cycle brings something different. I also like how the business world keeps evolving. When you see it up close, you realise how a single sound judgment can do wonders for a business, and how one small miscalculation can prove costly. Above all, I love learning how businesses operate, not only at home but across continents, especially in the UK.
One of my biggest achievements was qualifying as an ACCA member at 22. I’m also proud to be doing an MBA. It is something I wanted to do for a long time, and at times it felt as though it would never happen.
If I had law-making powers, I would introduce financial literacy training for every business owner. Entrepreneurs need to understand their rights and responsibilities if their businesses are to thrive.
If I wasn’t in finance, I would like to be in the diplomatic service, representing my country. Or maybe a barista in a coffee shop in the Italian countryside as I love Italy’s serene landscapes and relaxed way of life. Lately, I have also fallen in love with coffee, and learning about its many different forms has become a hobby of mine.
In my own time I love reading fiction, especially historical war novels and political dramas, and I adore poetry too. I have also mentored ACCA students, as I enjoy helping others learn. Travelling is another passion, but what I cherish most is time in the sun with a book and a coffee.
