Shenola Gonzales, Head of Malaysia, ICAEW
The primary objective of the ICAEW Malaysia office is to grow and strengthen the ICAEW brand in Malaysia, in collaboration with the ICAEW Members’ Society Malaysian Chapter in training and increasing the number of chartered accountants in Malaysia. There are 6 staff in the office including the Head of Malaysia.
Based on your overall experience of doing business in Malaysia, name the advantages and challenges of doing business in Malaysia.
Malaysia’s rich multicultural heritage as well as being a Commonwealth country has great access to and appreciation of UK education, hence, receptive, and supportive to professional qualifications and membership – which serves as an advantage to grow ICAEW’s membership in Malaysia. But at the same time – these factors also serve as a challenge as Malaysia’s mature education market means that there is also high competition from other professional bodies from the UK vying for the same pool of Malaysian students.
What did you do or are you still doing to overcome these challenges?
ICAEW is one of the oldest, established, and is considered a leader in the accountancy and finance profession due to our robust qualification programmes, our expert technical knowledge and the wide-ranging senior roles our members hold. By working very closely with the ICAEW Members’ Society Malaysian Chapter – the chapter’s membership consists of many top business and government leaders in Malaysia – ICAEW attracts top students as well as individuals who are looking for international recognition and fast career growth
Based on your experience operating in Malaysia, what are the 3 most important criteria for achieving business success in Malaysia?
ICAEW’s sustained growth and success in Malaysia is attributed to the prestige the brand carries, which is embodied by the ICAEW members in Malaysia and the following:
- Knowing what the market wants – where young professionals are looking at business-ready qualifications with regularly updated real-world knowledge – which the ICAEW qualification provides.
- International recognition – providing ICAEW chartered accountants with the ability to work in Malaysia and almost anywhere in the world as ICAEW is part of the Chartered Accountants Worldwide (CAW) and Global Accounting Alliance (GAA) networks with reciprocal recognition with many other professional bodies in the world for ICAEW members.
- Working with the ICAEW Members’ Society Malaysian Chapter in creating a network of members to share ideas, collaborate and grow businesses.
What are the top 3 reasons for your organisation joining the BMCC?
- BMCC’s network of members
- Opportunities to grow the brand and reputation
- Opportunities to collaborate and share ideas
What is the top value you see for yourself or your organisation in being a member of the BMCC?
The opportunity to collaborate and be part of a large network of British organisations in Malaysia with potential opportunities to grow the brand and business.
In one sentence, how would you describe your own experience or your organisation’s experience as a member of the BMCC.
It is truly a remarkable privilege to be part of a large network of British organisations in Malaysia allowing members to interact, share ideas and collaborate towards better business opportunities and growth.
