What was your first job?
My first job was at McDonalds in Moscow. It was quite tough and required self-discipline – to have time for both study and work. It gave me my first experience of working processes. While studying for my degree I also worked in several small Russian companies preparing their tax declarations. After graduating, I joined the Moscow office of NCR (National Cash Register) as an accountant and was promoted to chief accountant a year later. I soon realised, however, that I would need to continue my professional education, so I chose ACCA.
Why did you want to become an accountant?
My grandfather was chief accountant of a milk and meat packing plant in the USSR, and was very much respected by other people in our town. Since my childhood I wanted to follow his path and be an accountant.
How has your ACCA membership helped your career?
The ACCA Qualification gives you the knowledge and tools to achieve excellence in your job. It is very much respected by employers – multinationals and Russian companies alike. And management have always considered my ACCA qualification to be a huge advantage when considering promotion opportunities.
How do you use your accountancy skills in your job?
My ACCA Qualification enables me to approach what I am doing from different angles, and identify areas that could be improved or changed. It relates not only to financial or accounting processes, but also to IT systems development and implementation, performance measurement, and strategic analysis. An advantage of the ACCA qualification is that it makes you a broad specialist in finance, so I encourage all my staff to join and study ACCA. I know that it is a great benefit to my employer.
What plans do you have for your future career?
I am currently on assignment at the Nissan European headquarters in Paris, where I am section manager – financial planning consolidation control, and am responsible for the correctness of financial reporting on Nissan subsidiaries in Europe. As for my future career plans, they lie not only in finance, but possibly in marketing as well.
What advice would you give students wanting to rise to the top?
My recommendation to students is to identify and follow their priorities.