ACCA student Kwadwo Asomaning explains how his studies have helped him develop an exciting career with P&O Nedlloyd Container Lines Ltd
Kwadwo Asomaning has always worked in accounting, and his career so far is a good example of how varied an accountant’s working life can be, and where it can lead. ‘My main career began after I completed my management accounting studies when I joined Sans Fibres Ltd based in Cape Town, South Africa, as an accounts assistant,’ explains Kwadwo. ‘Sans Fibres Ltd manufactures fibres for both the clothing trade and for industrial use. My responsibilities included filing statutory returns such as VAT and levy payments to the local metropolitan council, journal processing, and operating cost analysis. I also had to issue monthly reports to cost centre managers and help in the preparation of annual budgets. After two years in the post I decided to work as a contractor, which took me to companies such as Schlumberger (oil services) and Mutual plc (insurance), before I joined my current employer, P&O Nedlloyd, in 2001.
‘P&O Nedlloyd is a large container shipping business owning extensive assets, including ships, containers, and logistics companies. We do business in around 190 countries, have a staff of 13,000 worldwide, and have three global service centres, two in India and one in China. Our biggest operations are in Asia Pacific, Europe, and North America, with a significant share of the market in Africa and Latin America. P&O Nedlloyd is a very dynamic company and our vision is to be recognised as the global leader in point-to-point shipping.
‘I joined the company as an accounts assistant, a role which gave me experience of different types of industries, and which also gave me the necessary skills and competences I need to qualify as a chartered certified accountant. At first I worked in P&O Nedlloyd’s management accounting department, moving from accounts assistant to business analyst, where I had the opportunity to learn about, and manage, systems implementation.
From there I became an implementation manager, responsible for introducing a yield management system across our region, which covers the Middle East, South Asia and Africa. Although I had moved away from pure accountancy, I still needed my finance skills as I had to train colleagues across the region and help them understand the concepts of revenue, costs, contribution and yield, and so on. My ACCA studies helped me in this role, and in my subsequent position, when I was promoted to change manager for the West Africa region in March 2005.
‘My new job is very demanding. We are currently in the final phase of the company’s change management programme in the commercial and operational side of the business. This involves project planning and co-ordination, process analysis, risk assessment, and re-engineering of work procedures to make our business more efficient. It is a huge challenge for the company, and a steep learning curve for me. I have to liaise with senior and junior management and travel extensively both within West Africa and beyond.
‘My ACCA studies have certainly helped me in my career, enabling me to think laterally in all my jobs so far. Although it is a finance qualification, I have enjoyed studying the broad syllabus, particularly subjects such as business information management, performance management, and planning and development, all of which have given me a broader business perspective rather than a narrow financial focus.
‘Studying for ACCA is hard work. It has not been easy, combining my studies with a full-time job, and I still have to finish my Part 3 core papers. However, ACCA is worth the effort – it is a great qualification, and opens many doors to all who have it.’