Both my parents are Fellow Chartered Accountants (FCAs) and played quite a big role in my career by encouraging me to pursue the ACA programme.

I was fortunate to be one of the first three A Level students in Kuala Lumpur who attempted the ACA without a bachelor degree, and as a result, I managed to qualify as a Chartered Accountant at the age of 22. 

I started my career at 19, as an audit assistant in Folks DFK & Co. After qualifying as an ICAEW Chartered Accountant, I wanted to dabble in something new. So when I heard of an opening at CIMB’s corporate banking department, I decided to take it.

As a leading ASEAN bank, CIMB is involved in many aspects of financial services. In my role as senior relationship manager in the Real Estate and Construction team for the corporate banking department, I am responsible for advising corporate clients on their funding and banking solutions. 

I guess you could say I am fortunate to have a pretty exciting job. The thrill of being in the market, and to witness developments taking place in the financial world is quite exhilarating! 

The journey to obtaining the ACA qualification was tough.

I can say that studying for the ACA while having to work required a huge amount of discipline and perseverance. I had to constantly remind myself not to give up and keep working hard, and that it would all be worth it in the end. And I have never looked back.

Apart from gaining a premier, globally recognised qualification that offers abundant career choices, the ACA has given me a strong foundation in business and finance.

On a personal note, it has made me mentally stronger, more confident and helped me mature into the person I am today.