Please explain your current role and responsibilities. What drew you to the role?
As an Audit Principal at Zhonghui CPA Limited, I lead audit work for medium-sized listed companies in Hong Kong and initial public offering (IPO) projects. This involves planning audits, reviewing financial statements and working papers, discussing issues with teams and clients, and working with company management, chief financial officers, audit committees, and directors. Internally, I coordinate with audit partners and the technical team, review work from other auditors, and keep projects on schedule. I manage teams of 15 to 20 people, including managers and juniors. I also handle business development, such as meeting new clients, preparing proposals, and bidding for work. In addition, I run training sessions for our audit teams and share knowledge with universities. I chose this role because it allows me to use my skills in a firm focused on Hong Kong’s stock market, leading teams on important audits and IPOs. So far, I have completed key projects, strengthened client ties, and seen my teams improve, which keeps me motivated in this changing field.
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your role, and why?
The most rewarding parts come from building relationships and sharing knowledge with different people. I enjoy working with team members from various backgrounds, exchanging ideas, and using my experience to solve audit and accounting problems. Listening to staff, giving advice, and watching them develop feels very satisfying. It is also rewarding to add value to the firm and clients by keeping high standards and building long-term connections across the audit world. The challenging parts involve meeting the needs of many people within short time limits and limited resources. For example, during busy periods, I have to assign people carefully to maintain good audit quality. Handling complex rules in IPOs or listed company audits requires quick thinking and flexibility. These challenges, however, help me improve my leadership and build stronger teams.
What are the biggest lessons you have learned so far from work experience or managers?
One key lesson is that working with people is complex and requires understanding how to balance meeting different needs with time and resource limits. From my IPO experiences, I learned to quickly understand what clients and teams need, communicate clearly, and align everyone to the same goal. Managers showed me that it is important to quickly spot requirements fast – for example, in audits, shifting team members during busy times keeps quality high and people happy. Business development teaches how to match services to client needs in meetings. Regular audits highlight the value of listening to feedback from everyone and adapting. By stepping out of my comfort zone, accepting comments, and encouraging teamwork, I create better working environments that support growth and success for the firm and the people in it.
Where do you see yourself in the next five to 10 years in your career?
I am positive about the future of auditing in Hong Kong, especially with new areas like sustainability reporting and digital changes. In the next five to 10 years, I expect to stay in auditing, possibly moving to a bigger role at Zhonghui CPA Limited or taking higher leadership positions. I look forward to new challenges, such as leading bigger IPOs in fields like technology. I will work on growing my teams, improving my management skills through training and guidance, and helping the profession through HKICPA work and university links. I am committed to exploring new ideas, maintaining high standards, and following rules from bodies like the Accounting and Financial Reporting Council, while supporting Hong Kong as a major financial centre.
In what ways has your CPA qualification helped you in your career so far?
The Qualification Programme training has been very important to my career as an Audit Principal. The modules on financial reporting, business assurance, corporate financing, and taxation improved my logical thinking and taught me how to use the right standards in real situations. As a junior auditor, this knowledge helped me handle daily work, such as checking statements and answering client questions. Now, as a member of the HKICPA, the qualification brings respect from the firm, clients, and others, helping me lead major audits and IPOs. It gave me a broad view of finance, which means I can combine knowledge from different areas and work with experts when needed. This has made me more credible and more capable to give useful advice on Hong Kong’s rules.
