NCA Alumni Speaks about their ACCA journey & thereafter

Well, there is saying winners are born different, and NCA alumni have definitely given us a different perspective of winning!

Today we have highlighted the achievements of our alumni after their successful attainment of ACCA. We have brought up the story of our alumni Bishal Pantha, the Head-Budgeting, Strategy, MIS & Performance Reviewer at Jyoti Bikas Bank, Ashim Jung Thapa, the Financial Manager of Catholic Relief Service, Aashish Karki, the Financial Analyst of Al Futtaim Group,  and Aastha Gautam, the Investment Accountant of Taft Companies.

From not understanding the concept of ACCA to joining ACCA after completion of higher secondary in science. The whole concept of ACCA was turned around after our alumni stood out from the crowd with a glorious mark in ACCA, and now has taken up the title of FCCA in the global and national market.

1. When did you qualify ACCA?

Aashish – I successfully completed all of my ACCA papers by June 2013.

Ashim – I qualified ACCA from NCA in 2014 and was certified as FCCA in 2019. Aastha- I was an ACCA affiliate in June 2013 and became an ACCA member in March 2015.

Bishal – I am currently a Fellow ACCA member (FCCA) qualified since September 2013 and received my fellowship since November 2018.

2. Your current profession, briefly role, organization

Aashish – I am working as a Financial Analyst at Al Futtaim Group. Al Futtaim Group (AFG) is a large conglomerate based in Dubai with over 200 companies and 42,000 employees. My roles involve automating report processing, handling monthly reporting on behalf of Accounts Payable Shared Service Center, managing reporting activities of 150 entities, and identifying the process improvement opportunities and enhancing existing SOP’s in place.

Ashim – I have been working in the Development Sector for the past 5 years and currently I am designated as Finance Manager for Catholic Relief Services. I am responsible for overall financial management, compliance, and grants management.

Aastha – I started working as an Accountant in Taft Companies since May 2016. Taft is a Captive Insurance Managing company that provides a strategic vision to clients through Alternative Risk Transfer (ART) methods. It provides managerial and financial services in forming and running of captives.

Initially, I worked as an investment accountant where I reconciled purchase and sales discrepancies within investment accounts, ensured the investment accounts are following investment policies regulated by the state; collate investment, and present results to clients. Currently, I am working on the reporting side where I prepare, review, and analyze monthly financial statements, quarterly income tax calculations related to deferred tax assets and liabilities, and preparing annual statements required by the state. I also present the reports to the clients in annual renewals as required by the state of domicile.

Bishal – I am currently associated with Jyoti Bikas Bank Limited, one of the leading development banks of Nepal, in the role of Head-Budgeting, Strategy, MIS & Performance Review.  My major responsibilities in the role include finalization of a yearly annual budget, bank’s strategical plan, reporting of the various MIS reports to the senior management and the Board as and when required, and presenting to the Board the monthly and quarterly performance report of the Bank.

3.Your journey with NCA, how it helped in your career progression

Aashish – have fond memories of NCA. All the counseling and tutorship we had from the entire NCA faculty greatly influenced the choices I had made in my Career. NCA faculty were well versed with the ACCA curriculum and besides regular classes, we also got valuable insights that shaped our journey towards ACCA membership. Overall, the knowledge that I had garnered helped me in resolving complex business cases and problems.

Ashim – ACCA at NCA gave me a good head start to my career. From not knowing what the ACCA course was actually about to become one of the qualified members, I guess it speaks all about my career progression of ACCA in NCA.

Aastha – From attending ACCA seminar to providing tuition and conducting mock exams, NCA has provided a profound accounting knowledge for me and helped a lot in boosting up my career. Since I was from a science background, I had no prior accounting knowledge. I got a very good direction to start from CAT (Certified Accounting Technician) through seminars held by NCA and interaction with prior students.

I owe much of my success as an ACCA member to the NCA team as they not only helped in giving insights of the examinations but also made us confident by allowing us to sit for the mock exams held ahead of ACCA exams. I met many friends and seniors during my classes and when I think of having fun, I still remember the picnics organized by NCA. My favorite memory outside of NCA classes was a 3-day trip to Pokhara organized by my friends and a few teachers and having a strong bonding with all thereafter.

Bishal – Regarding my journey with NCA, I found a very cordial learning environment over there where we would not hesitate to place our queries with the teachers who were very supportive and very keen to reach and address our issues as soon as possible.

One thing I still remember about NCA is the never-say-die attitude I learned from our mentors there which have always helped me in every stage of my career. I also cherish the bond with my mentors/teachers there forever.

4.Any suggestion to the NCA management team so that it can serve better in the future

Aashish – I have no doubt about NCA’s quality when it comes to ACCA’s curriculum. In addition to ACCA, I believe NCA could play additional roles in shaping aspiring ACCA members by extending on other aspects other than core ACCA studies for interested candidates.

Especially an accountant having programming skills is greatly valued by recruiters. Few suggestions that I could think of that could greatly aid value to NCA students would be to organize boot camps and provide courses to interested candidates on Excel VBAs, Data Science, and/or basic programming concepts.

Ashim – Well it’s the oldest and the best.

Aastha – I would suggest the NCA team obtain student feedback frequently and provide more interactive programs to they can know where they are lacking and how to provide better quality education.

Bishal – NCA has been repeatedly producing excellent ACCA’s. So, I would want the college to produce qualitative ACCA for the Nepalese market.

5.Your interest, hobbies besides the work profession

Aashish – Besides work, I am interested in developing my programming skills. I actively subscribe to dedicated websites such as Linkedin Learning, Team Treehouse, Coursera, and learn about ways I can automate tasks. I also enjoy writing blogs and often publish them.

Ashim – My message to NCA students is to believe in yourself, work hard with passion, and always strive to learn more.

Aastha – I love to travel to new places, know about the cultural and geographical dynamics of different places in particular. During my leisure time, I watch documentaries and read novels.

Bishal – Besides my profession, I love reading books and playing and watching sports like football and cricket has been my hobby from a very tender age.

6.Your few words to NCA aspirants

Aashish – Believe in the power of knowledge, associate with the right person, and trust in your capabilities. Enjoy your journey with NCA and do not worry much about the destination.

You have nothing to worry, you are already on the front foot by choosing your journey with NCA. You have already made a smart choice; you just need to stay on this track.

It would be our pleasure Suresh sir to be in touch with you and NCA. Me and our little gang we thoroughly enjoyed our journey there and often talk about it when we get a chance.

Ashim – My message to NCA students is to believe in yourself, work hard with passion, and always strive to learn more.

Aastha – To the NCA aspirants, study hard, learn all you can and make as many friends as you can. Hard work and commitment are the keys to success. In finding jobs and deciding if one is good, consult with seniors and network as much as possible.

Bishal – To fellow aspirants, I want to wish good luck to them as NCA is one of the best and the oldest institution acting as a pathway in Nepal for completing ACCA where you will find a nurturing environment to become a successful professional accountant and stand out in the market wherever you go!!

If you have any queries related to ACCA you can comment us below!