MSC ACCOUNTANCY

ACCOUNTANCY DEGREE HELPS ANALYST STEP UP TO HEAD OFFICE ROLE

After working in the Philippines and Taiwan, Brian Chen found his strength: being able to help people from both the Southeast Asian and East Asian regions to better talk business with one another.

At his former company Spectrum Brands, Brian worked in both countries as a financial analyst. Then, he was given the responsibility to oversee projects on accounting standards. “I realised I needed a solid accounting foundation,” says the NBS Class of 2018 alumnus, who holds a bachelor’s degree in public finance.

He did so with the Nanyang MSc Accountancy programme. “I chose it over an MBA because I wanted to develop my career in the finance and accounting functions in the corporate world,” explains Brian. The foundation he has gained also provides him a solid fast-track towards a few essentials, such as an ACCA qualification and ISCA membership.

The Nanyang MSc Accountancy programme is offered from Singapore—a finance hub at the confluence of regional and global markets. Brian’s cosmopolitan outlook and keen sense of opportunity have led him here: a city well-poised to witness a booming Southeast Asia, which is attracting investors from Greater China like never before, he says enthusiastically.

The opportunities came. Soon after completing the MSc Accountancy programme, Brian was hired into the headquarters of global tech company Venture Corporation. Today, he is based in Singapore. “I acquired the accounting knowledge and assurance from the programme to take on new and greater responsibilities,” he says. “I’ve progressed to analysing wider implications that have an impact on subsidiaries across the company.”

The way of a strong foundation is no walk in the park. For Brian, the rigorous curriculum of the programme meant late nights studying and working on various projects with course mates. The learning curve was steep in all directions: apart from having to quickly pick up theories and frameworks, Brian was also challenged to understand people from different cultures and collaborate with them. “The whole process,” he says, “trained me to efficiently handle multiple tasks under stress in a short time—while keeping teamwork a priority. These are very critical skills in the real world.”

He is set for a bigger dream. A Chief Financial Officer role. Brian says that the programme has given him the clarity and confidence to make it happen: “I’ve got a good base of knowledge. I’ve widened my perspectives. I’ve made friends with like-minded talents. I’ll keep learning and stepping up.” The path ahead—of leveraging the possibilities between two countries—is now all his to chart.

Quick tip: Be prepared, be committed.

“If you don’t have a solid accounting or finance background, it won’t be an easy journey for you. Be prepared for what are you signing up for and stay committed. This means familiarising yourself with some of the texts before class and engaging as much as you can with the faculty and your course mates. Understand the topics, be proactive in projects, try to get relevant internship experiences if you can. Apply and test what you have learnt in the workplace. These were the steps that helped me to make the best out of the programme and progress towards a successful finance and accounting career.”