Anam Sami, an Associate 3 in KPMG Lower Gulf FS Department, recently scored the highest marks globally in her ACCA Corporate Law, Audit and Assurance paper. She talks to Accountant Middle East about her achievement and future ambitions.
Anam Sami receives her recognition award from Stuart Dunlop, the Head of ACCA Middle East
Tell us about yourself, ACCA studies and your recent achievements
I was born and brought up in Dubai and went to the UK to pursue my Bachelors in Economics. Upon graduating, I returned back to the country and joined KPMG as my first workplace.
I am currently pursuing Association of Chartered Certified Accountants (ACCA) qualification. I have cleared nine out of the necessary 14 papers. I have managed to score the highest marks globally in two ACCA examinations. These include Corporate Law and the Audit and Assurance paper.
The facets of accounting profession are broad, including auditing, tax, legislation, management, banking among others. Is there one specific area which is of most interest to you?
Financial Service is one of my areas of interest and I would like to continue my association with KPMG. KPMG has a huge client base and provides excellent training and support to its employees. In future, I aspire to specialise in auditing investment banks or private equity firms. Above all my aim is to complete all of my ACCA papers successfully.
What drives you?
My motivation for success in the academic life is based on my unrelenting curiosity and my overwhelming need to know rather than to merely believe. I don’t study for grades, but rather to satisfy my desire to know and understand.
Who is your mentor/s?
My family has been very supportive indeed and their role in the entire journey till date has been substantial. Together with my family, I would like to extend my heartfelt thanks to my teachers and mentors who made it possible for me to excel in my studies.
I would also sincerely like to thank my performance manager and colleagues for their continued support and guidance.
My performance manager has been constantly guiding me in striking the right balance between work and studies. My colleagues have been very supportive, providing me with relevant on the job training and helping me manage my work amidst study leaves and preparations for exams.
Worth mentioning here is the support of the Human Resource department, which has also played a significant role in my success. Without their guidance it would have been nearly impossible to cope between work and studies. They helped me in the smooth processing of my study leave applications, registration of classes and much more.
What’s the best advice you can give to youngsters wanting a career in accounting?
My suggestion for all the aspirants would be that in order to succeed one should try and develop good time management skills and organization skills. Above all one must follow a good study plan and stay focused.
How do you spend your free time? What are your interests, if any?
In my spare time I love to read. My favorite authors are John Grisham and Sydney Sheldon. Apart from reading, I like to watch movies, (especially old classic ones), bake and spend time with my friends.
