7 career tips from accounting and finance professionals

By Beth Wallace

Good job advice can be life-changing – inspiring recipients to alter the way they work or even consider a new career direction. 

Learning from one’s peers is a great way to gain fresh perspectives. To that end, here is a selection of career tips shared by CPA Australia members, along with the experiences that have contributed to their success.

Rajeev Adrian FCPA is CEO and managing director of ABC International Bank in London. Throughout his career, he has made several sideways moves to cover a range of different disciplines, often working for people much younger than himself.

He says taking a strategic approach to reach the C-suite requires a determined, yet flexible, mindset.

“You need to recognise that five strategic career moves to the top may become 10,” he says. “Don’t compare yourself to others along the way – it will tempt you to make choices towards short-term gain.”

“You are only competing against yourself.”

For Rachelle Anstey CPA, CFO at Monash Health, being empathetic enables her to understand and connect with people she works with and build strong, trusting relationships. 

“It also allows me to make informed decisions that consider the needs of others,” she says.

Anstey lives by the motto “always empower”, both in her personal and professional life. “I love to give others the authority, resources and opportunities they need to make decisions and achieve their goals,” she says. 

“When members of my team have a great idea, I actively encourage them to act on it. The results are usually always brilliant.”

Singapore-based Joe Bisco CPA, managing director at State Street, credits hard work and time spent nurturing relationships for many of the advancements in his career.

“I think people really underestimate the importance of growing relationships with people: your manager, your manager’s manager, your team – it goes a long way,” he says.

Ultimately, he believes it is up to each individual to drive their own success. “I have been given opportunities, but I have had to push for a lot myself, too,” he says. 

“Network with people, advocate for yourself and do not be afraid to take on new challenges.”

Before Dr Michelle Cull FCPA joined the world of academia at Western Sydney University, she spent 15 years in various accounting and finance roles at ASX 100-listed companies. 

As someone who has experience in both the corporate world and in academia, there is one message Cull wants others who study accounting to understand.

“In everything I have done through work and at university, my accounting degree has served me well. I really do feel this has set me up for anything I do in life.”

Having taken the reins as managing director at Malaysian franchise Secret Recipe, Patrick Sim CPA is tasked with ensuring the business stays the course in a rapidly changing market. His remit includes appealing to a new generation of customers and developing the company’s culture.

To meet these and other challenges, Sim says it is essential to commit to learning throughout your career.

“Engage in continuous learning,” he says. “I’m an introvert and prefer to look at numbers, but I would not be where I am today if I did not take the time to learn and keep improving as a leader.”

Grab CFO Peter Oey FCPA has one piece of advice for up-and-coming CFOs: take every opportunity to go outside your comfort zone – and work in different places.

“Working abroad has been the biggest game changer for me,” he says. “I have seen how Europe and the US work, and now I am experiencing the way South-East Asia does business.” 

“This helps you to adapt to any situation, it makes you more flexible at solving problems, and it affects how broadly you think when making decisions. It is the result of being subjected to different cultures, jurisdictions and personalities.”

Audrey Lim CPA runs a small hospitality and retail group, Straits Heritage, that includes a cocktail bar, antique shop, boutique accommodation and a café in Penang, Malaysia.

Lim’s trips to Cuba, a destination she describes as “heaven for cocktails”, inspired her to bring the flavours of Havana to Malaysia and create cocktail bar Archipelago, which has been featured in The New York Times, Monocle in London and Malaysia’s The Yum List.

In a market where many people set up bars based on a passion for hospitality without accompanying business skills, Lim says her CPA certification has been vital for her various enterprises.

Her advice is simple: “If you have an adventurous spirit with business, just do it, because you only live once,” Lim says. “Go and achieve your dreams.”