“As a woman, you will face many obstacles and failures but always remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is so close” – Eugenia Siaw Owusu
This week, WIFIN is featuring Eugenia Siaw Owusu – Senior Audit Associate at Baker Tilly Andah and Andah, Ghana.
The WIFIN spotlight series is designed to motivate and inspire the next generation of emerging finance and investment female leaders and provide a platform for them to meet and network with their peers, role models and industry professionals.
In Eugenia’s words, “Create your own miracle! I believe in miracles however, they happen when you move. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass”.
Join WIFIN to read more about her journey as a working professional in the Finance and Investment Management Industry.
What drew you to a career in accounting? What has motivated you to stay committed to this choice of career?
After my Junior high school when I was supposed to select a school and a course for my Senior high school, my father’s friend visited our home one evening. I guess my choice of school and course subject came into their discussion and they called me in. My father’s friend was an accountant (I use was because it’s been long since I saw him. Lol) and he practically convinced my dad and me to choose ‘business’. He proved with his comfortable lifestyle. Since I loved mathematics and I had been told Business is all about math, I got excited immediately and went with that.
Now as an accountant, a number of factors keep me committed to my choice. Firstly, the prestige in the profession. Accountants are widely respected and trusted advisers and are also considered as successful people in society. Again, knowing people rely on my services to make huge financial decisions keeps me excited about my job and makes me want to give off my best. Lastly, I get to work with some of the smartest people in the world and my job exposes me to successful people and owners of popular brands. I guess I’m stuck for good!
Thinking back to when you were starting your career, is there any advice that you would like to give to yourself?
Thinking back, the advice I would give to my younger self is, start your professional course early. I registered to start ACCA when I was still in the University though but I did not really have targets as to when I wanted to complete the course. I took my papers at my own pace and though I have completed them, I feel I could have been at a greater advantage if I had written my papers earlier.
My second piece of advice to my younger self when I was starting my career is nobody works or succeeds in a vacuum. Go to class and make more friends, you will need them. The friends you make today are going to be the leaders of tomorrow. For my professional course, I studied most of my papers on my own. I attended class for only a few of my papers and made a few friends which have become my key professional connections now. To rectify this, I have been networking a lot these days as I go on with my daily duties and I can boldly say my network is one of my greatest assets. Your network is your net worth!
Mentors play a critical role in personal development and growth. Did you have a mentor? If yes, what are the few things that you looked for in that person?
I had mentors and I still have. Some I know on a personal level and other figures I watch closely from afar. I look out for success, integrity and friendliness in my mentors. Success because I look for someone who challenges me to do more for myself and my society. I look out for someone who inspires me to step out of my comfort zone and I believe someone who has been through some sort of a challenge and worked their way through it is what I need to learn from to be successful. Trust me! Being friends with successful people leads to progress.
I also consider integrity and friendliness in my choice of a mentor because I look out for people I can trust. Lastly, someone, I call a mentor has to be friendly and approachable.
In the past two years, we have all suffered, personally and professionally from the global pandemic. Are there any lessons that you have learnt through these difficult times?
I learned to be agile and open to change. The world has become unpredictable; the only thing that is constant is change and the only way to fit in is to be open to new things. Before, I used to be quite uptight but now, I wake up each day with a ‘bring it on’ mentality. I can overcome anything. Again, always have a positive mental attitude. No matter the circumstance, there is always hope and you begin to acknowledge that, it begins to manifest. I have also learned to celebrate every little win. We all have goals and most of us are really trying but sometimes we get so carried by the big goals that we forget to acknowledge the little victories. I realized there is something really fulfilling and validating when we share our little victories with the people who care about us and support us. Sometimes that’s all the energy we need to move to the next victory. Lastly, I have learned to be stingy with resources. Talking about stingy, I don’t mean sharing. However, let’s all learn to value our little blessings and learn to use them wisely to benefit the bigger society.
What will be your 2021 mantra to keep you motivated, either professional or personal?
Create your own miracle! I believe in miracles however, they happen when you move. Life isn’t about waiting for the storm to pass. It’s about learning how to dance in the rain. Create your own miracle or if possible, meet the miracle halfway if you want it so badly.
Is there any advice that you would like to give to the younger generation of females aspiring to be a woman leader in the finance and investment industry?
Failure is not fatal. As a woman, you are going to be faced with so many obstacles and failures but always remember, there is light at the end of the tunnel and it is so close. Just do what is necessary and don’t you dare give up!
Disclaimer: *Eugenia’s views are her own and do not represent the views of her employer.
Thank you for joining us!
WIFIN Spotlight Series 2021
