Abu Dhabi, UAE
Member since 2015
Inspiration: I felt that as a professional body, ACCA goes the extra mile to ensure their students and members feel valued. Furthermore, having the letters “ACCA” after one’s name signifies expertise in the field of accounting, as well as possession of tacit knowledge key to organizational growth.
Achievement: I am the first person in my family to graduate from high school, let alone from university and attain the ACCA designation. My parents always told me that they wished they could attain a high-quality education, and emphasized to me that education can open doorways later in life that could lead me towards a career I could be happy with.
After attaining a Bachelor of Commerce degree and Masters in Accounting, I attained 9 exemptions and was required to sit 5 P-Level exams. The highs for me are undoubtedly passing these exams first time, the sense of achievement in qualifying, and the happiness this brought my parents.
With respect to the lows, I feel my experience would resonate with a lot of current and prospective students. A big part of sitting exams and being successful comes down to psychological positivity, and not letting fear creep in. There were days I would sit in a lecture and think a topic was too difficult, think I am not good enough to pass or qualify, and that everyone was naturally smarter than me. On some late nights at the end of long study sessions, I felt exhausted from trying to balance work, study, and some semblance of social life and even thought of giving up.
In the end, I had to reaffirm myself that if I put in the effort, good things will happen. The missed social events, using all annual leave for study leave instead of summer holidays and using most of my weekends to study instead of relaxing paid off in the end.
In hindsight, if I had to do it all again I would do it in a heartbeat. The benefits of ACCA Membership to one’s career are unparalleled, with opportunities for professional growth and life-changing new career opportunities in sight post-qualification.
At present, I am a member of the UAE Members Advisory Committee, and was awarded ACCA Advocate of the Year for 2019. I feel it is important to give back to the organization which has provided me with a tremendous amount of support, as well as to help inspire the next generation of ACCA members.
Proud: I am proud to be an ACCA member due to the fact that ACCA gives opportunities to literally anyone, irrespective of socio-economic background or prior education, to become an accountant. I find it incredible that ACCA offers not just the chance to gain a professional designation, but also undergraduate degrees, Master’s qualifications, and additional certificates and diplomas.
Being an ACCA member makes you feel like part of a family. Regular correspondence detailing achievements of some of the 200,000 + members from around the world are inspiring, and I have always had the feeling that ACCA want the best for their members. Unique opportunities for qualifications with partners have also been negotiated, which means members can gain a strategic advantage in terms of further education.
Special mention: My parents, Freddy and Sheila, were always encouraging, supportive and there to motivate me along my journey and celebrate every milestone with me. My wife, Veronica, always helped with revision and listened to me for hours on end listing off the key facets of accounting standards and formulae. They were my rocks during weak moments, and I wouldn’t be where I am today without them.