top stories
Student case study
Mr Louis Tang, Chief Financial Officer of South China Morning Post Publishers Limited
"I was one of the top students in class and was rather disappointed to learn that my A-level results weren't good enough to secure a place in a university. Remembering my father's motto that it was important to acquire a skill in order to make a living, I joined KPMG Peak Marwick to learn accounting skills. I studied for ACCA at the same time. The first 10 papers were fairly easy for me as I always came across the subject areas at work."
"I completed the ACCA examination in 1988 and I joined a commodities company to head its accounting department. Attaining the ACCA qualification meant a lot to me because I was more confident in taking up new challenges after I was qualified."
"In terms of career choices, the ACCA syllabus was very broad; covering taxation, accounting, audit, IT, law and management. I could choose to work in CPA firms, commerce & industry as I wished"
"I joined the SCMP Group in 1993 and am now responsible for the Group's finance and accounting functions."
Louis believes that the career prospects for ACCA students in commerce & industry are good because accountants are always in demand in all trades and industries. He said that accountants should not be bookkeepers (or bean counters). Through the interpretation of financial statements, accountants would then understand the business and provide financial and operational strategies for their companies. Therefore, accounting provides an excellent stepping stone to move up the management ladder.