Q: What would you say has been the biggest factor in your success so far?
A:
I started off my career within the auditing field, where I qualified as a Chartered Accountant of South Africa. Subsequently, I came to know of Forensic Accounting and was determined to join the field. I did so during 2015 and have since further my studies in this field.
I would not have been able to achieve any of the successes to date without the support of my family, friends, mentors, and seniors. They are the biggest factor in my success so far.
My family and friends have always been there for me, especially during the tough times. They encouraged me to pursue my passion, supported me emotionally, celebrated achievements and made a lot of coffee during exam times. Having a husband who celebrates your successes, encourages you to study further and gets excited with you about an exciting new fraud matter is invaluable.
My mentors and seniors in the workplace have also been very supportive of me. They have taught me the required skills, gave me opportunities to learn, grow and make mistakes, providing constructive feedback throughout. In addition, I have had wonderful mentors along the way who celebrate achievements and successes with me.
Thanks to the support of these people, I have learned, grown and am ready to provide the same support and mentorship to more junior team members as I move forward in my career. With the ongoing support of my support network, I hope to continue to improve myself and contribute to society as a forensic accountant.
Q: What do you enjoy most about your career in the consulting industry?
A:
I enjoy my career in the consulting industry as a forensic accountant because it allows me to use my analytical and investigative skills to uncover and prevent financial crimes. My family always said I am curious and now I put it to good use!
I find it rewarding to help my clients solve complex and challenging problems, such as fraud, corruption, and litigation disputes. I also appreciate the diversity and variety of my work, as I get to work on different projects across various industries and sectors. In addition, the consulting space allows you to work with different teams of people and allows a person to develop various skills sets. For example, being actively involved in business development and marketing, financial management of your specific engagements, training, mentoring and project management.
Moreover, I feel proud to make a positive impact on society by holding perpetrators of financial crimes accountable. Being able to identify for example the schemes by which assets were misappropriated, how financial records were manipulated or how procurement fraud was perpetrated, is truly rewarding.
Q: What is your proudest achievement to date?
A:
As I started my career within the forensic accounting field, I always aspired to be a senior team member who is recognized for their skills and expertise. My proudest achievement to date is being promoted to managing director at StoneTurn, a global advisory firm that assists companies, their counsel and government agencies on regulatory, risk and compliance issues, investigations and business disputes.
I feel grateful that I was recognized for my hard work and expertise but am also very grateful for the opportunity to lead and mentor a team of talented professionals. I am honored to be part of the senior leadership at StoneTurn, where I can contribute to the firm’s vision and values and continue to make a positive impact on society.