A gateway to the world & helping others: 2 finance professionals share why they find accounting fulfilling

After about five years of working in finance, Justin Eu has his sights set on taking his career to the United Kingdom.

It’s not an unrealistic goal, because he has multiple accounting certifications recognised in the UK and around the world.

For certified accountants, the world is their oyster, Eu said.

Currently an assistant finance manager in the Singapore transport industry, he sees accounting as a universal language of business, one that can open doors across industries and geographies.

His sentiments were echoed by Hanny Maria, who also highlighted the global opportunities of the accounting profession.

She left Indonesia for Singapore in 2019 after receiving a job offer, grateful for the opportunity to grow herself in a major financial hub in the region.

From doing financial audit in Indonesia, Maria made the transition to the technical accounting advisory line in Singapore, and since then has taken another leap to cultivate her expertise in the insurance industry as a finance business manager.

Besides being a natural and strategic step for her career, leaving for Singapore also brought her close to her family, as her siblings were already living here.

Both certified practising accountants (CPAs), Eu and Maria pointed out that, contrary to what many people might think, accounting is a lot more than just numbers and spreadsheets.

As International Accountants Day approaches on Nov. 10, we invited them to share what they enjoy and find rewarding about working in their field.

Opening doors to different international experiences

When Maria came to Singapore, everything seemed new to her: she was in a new country and company, doing a whole new area of finance.

While the first few months came with their fair share of anxiety, she found support and mentorship from her seniors at work and her siblings, whose hawker food recommendations greatly helped.

Looking back, she describes her move gratefully as a door that opened her to the right opportunity at the right time, enabling her to take a major step further in her career.

It was in Singapore that she decided to get qualified as an accountant, after realising that “having a widely recognisable certification could make a difference” to strengthening her skills in the market.

As for Eu, although he has yet to work overseas as a qualified accountant, he has also had chances to broaden his global perspectives through his profession.

Working with British colleagues at an international trading company early in his career, Gazprom Marketing & Trading (now SEFE Marketing & Trading), he fell in love with their friendly and collaborative work culture.

“That experience left a lasting impression on me, and it sparked a wish to one day be part of the UK’s professional landscape, contributing to and learning from such an inclusive, globally connected, and engaging work environment,” Eu said.

Eu also highlighted how his profession means he is well-equipped to do so too.

“The frameworks and standards we work with…are used across borders, which gives certified accountants a unique perspective on how businesses operate locally and internationally,” he said. “It’s not just a qualification but also a passport to contribute to diverse economies and industries.”

Always learning, always growing

When Eu and Maria first began a career in accounting, they were surprised to find how dynamic and versatile it was.

Beyond what was taught at school

While studying banking and finance at Nanyang Technological University, Eu decided to also pursue the CPA Program, partly because he was drawn to the analytical depth of accounting, and as a means of opening doors across multiple industries.

However, like many people, Eu initially thought that accounting was a back-office role focused on compliance and reporting, one which mainly involved crunching numbers and preparing spreadsheets.

Soon, he realised that the profession was much more than what he learnt at school.

“After becoming a certified accountant and gaining hands-on experience, I’ve come to see how multidimensional the role really is,” Eu said.

“Accounting is not only about numbers…it’s also about understanding the story behind them and using that insight to support strategic decisions.”

These are challenging tasks, but Eu has also been finding opportunities to learn and improve his skills through these challenges.

As the industry evolves, Eu has learnt to use technologies including generative AI and the Python programming language to make his work more efficient.

While he had picked up Python at university, he dived more deeply into it when he led a project to automate his company’s monthly bank reconciliation process using Python.

Eu saw it as an incredibly fulfilling and rewarding project, because he could develop both his analytical thinking and innovation.

Outside of the office, he also challenges himself at recreational tennis tournaments, which he actively competes at both individual and club levels.

He describes tennis as not only a hobby, but a discipline that sharpens his focus and resilience under stress.

Driven by curiosity

For Maria, her journey towards becoming a CPA and working in the insurance industry was motivated by a curiosity to learn and develop herself.

Growing up in Indonesia, she had picked up basic financial habits like prudent spending and saving from her parents, but was less exposed to areas such as insurance and asset and portfolio management.

These financial literacy topics were often seen as intimidating and rarely discussed openly, especially among the “ordinary people” who were simply just trying to get by, she explained.

However, Maria persistently pushed through by simply googling things she did not understand, and making mistakes along the way.

Eventually, she was able to unravel the enigma and understand how long-term financial protection and investment management is “an act of responsibility and love — not just for yourself, but for your family too”.

Such values sparked her interest in pivoting and pursuing a career in the insurance industry.

After a few years of working in finance, she decided to push herself further and become a qualified accountant.

“It was during the COVID period, [when] I reflected more intentionally on how I wanted to grow,” she said. “I knew I was blessed to be in a profession I truly enjoy, and I felt it was the right time to invest in myself so I could continue progressing in the right direction.”

Despite embarking on her financial literacy journey later than others, she did not feel worried about becoming a CPA.

“I’ve always believed that with curiosity, humility, and the right attitude, you can catch up,” she said. “We just need to keep showing up, asking questions, and reminding ourselves that progress is more about perseverance than perfection.”

She demonstrated this spirit herself by leveraging her certification as a foundation to develop herself holistically, such as her data analytics and technical skills, strategic thinking, and confidence during leadership discussions.

Similar to Eu, Maria finds excitement in working collaboratively and sharing those “aha” moments with others while connecting the dots behind the numbers.

“Eventually, our goal is helping others make better decisions based on the insights gathered,” she said.

“Hence, it is important to be dynamic in accounting and finance, so that one can respond to different audiences and strategically deliver the right messages.”

Interacting with and helping others is where they ultimately find meaning in their jobs

Having grown up with less financial awareness, Maria now finds it meaningful to help others understand finance in a way that clicks for them.

The people-focused nature of accounting is often overlooked, she said, but it is where she finds the core impact of the role to be.

“Especially in a fast-moving and ever-evolving environment like Singapore,” she said, “being a certified accountant can actually be a meaningful way to serve others.”

It is a value that Maria also carries over into her personal life by being a regular blood donor.

Both Maria and Eu partner with their colleagues and specialists to advise the leaders of their companies on important financial and operational decisions.

Eu finds such opportunities very fulfilling and rewarding, as the decisions he helps to shape can drive meaningful improvements in the business.

It was only after he obtained the CPA designation that he started to better understand the depth and impact of accounting.

“Once you're a CPA, people begin to trust you with bigger questions like how to treat complex transactions,” he explained. “You begin to become trusted with increased leadership opportunities and to help shape decisions.”

Sharing the same thoughts as Eu, Maria believes that being a qualified accountant is definitely more than just a title, but sets “a foundation that can take you places, shape how you show up for the people around you, and go beyond profit and loss.”

More about CPA Australia

Justin and Hanny are both members of CPA Australia, one of the largest professional accounting bodies in the world that offers enrolment into the CPA Program, training, technical support and advocacy to its members.

If you’re interested in starting or advancing your career in the accounting and finance industry, becoming a CPA could help you stand out among your peers.

CPA Australia offers an extensive range of courses and webinars to grow your skillsets to further your professional and personal development.

Find out more about the benefits of joining CPA Australia and its programme here.

This branded article is brought to you by CPA Australia.

Cover photo courtesy of Hanny Maria and Justin Eu