What is your current role and responsibilities? How is it going so far?
As an M&A Tax Manager at Deloitte, I’m involved in rather large deals. I support clients to complete their investments and lead a project team to perform due diligence and add value to our clients’ acquisitions and daily operations by advising efficient tax structures and supporting their tax planning implementation, for example. Though busy, I really like my job. So far, I’ve helped private equity funds, state-owned enterprises and large multinational companies to complete investments in places such as China, Asia Pacific and Europe. I’m also a part of Deloitte’s new task force in Hong Kong Science Park where I share my experience with start-up companies with the aim of helping them grow into unicorn enterprises and achieving a listing in the future.
What are the most rewarding and challenging aspects of your role, and why?
Every project is different, which can be a challenge – we could be working with a real estate company one day and a manufacturing company the next. I have to be a quick learner and familiarize myself with new terms in order to understand our client’s business targets and then facilitate each deal. But I find my role to be dynamic and the work highly rewarding, especially when work is cross-border and involves different teams from our global network. I like being able to work with a wide range of talented individuals, and I enjoy seeing everyone so dedicated to their role.
Where do you see yourself in five to 10 years?
I would like to take on a more regional or managerial tax role, and work with more markets within Asia Pacific in addition to Hong Kong and Mainland China. I do enjoy coordinating with overseas financial and legal advisors, and I also feel this would help me to build an extensive business network, too.
What are the biggest lessons you have learned so far from work experience or managers?
You need a team you can trust. I manage a team of five or six. As a manager, you need to take good care of your team and understand any difficulties they are facing. So it’s extremely important to build trust – not just between you and your team but also among themselves.
Which continuing professional development (CPD) course was the most useful?
I took CPD courses on financial advisory and valuation and have found these courses to be very interesting and helpful in my career so far. I even took a course on listings in Hong Kong to equip myself with that knowledge for the future.
How do you think the Qualification Programme (QP) has helped you in your career so far, or prepared you for your current role?
The financial, tax and business knowledge I attained from the QP really helped to build a solid foundation for my career. I personally enjoyed the workshops, which taught me how to work effectively with others and how to give insightful presentations in front of an audience. I believe the knowledge you gain from the QP will greatly complement the training and experience you receive while working at any company.
