Alumni Stories & Achievements
SOA Alumni have taken many varied paths
They have continued to pursue their interests with the same fervour and zeal characteristic of an SMU graduate. It is important that this is promoted and celebrated. We hope to share their moments of inspiration and what keeps them seeking a better self. Check out our newsletters for more feature stories on our alumni.
From Singapore to London: A Journey of Growth and Learning
Phua Kuan Hua (Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management, Class of 2016), Senior Manager at Deloitte, graduated top of his class in the MSc in Taxation programme at University of Oxford. Kuan Hua also clinched best performance awards in three courses – Ethical Issues in Tax Practice, EU Tax Law, and Taxation of Corporate Finance. Kuan Hua shared on his transformative journey to the UK, and his aspirations for advocating innovative tax policies back in Singapore, in an SMU blog article.
Image source: LinkedIn
Named in 'Prestige 40 Under 40'
(pic left) Michelle Khoo (BAcc & BBM, Class of 2009) and (pic right) Joline Tang (BAcc, Class of 2018) were recognised in the ‘Prestige 40 Under 40, Class of 2025’.
As Director of the Deloitte Centre for the Edge Southeast Asia, Michelle helps organisations cut through the noise of emerging technologies and uncover what will genuinely reshape industries.
Joline was recognised for her efforts in driving sustainability and sustainability education. As the founder of The Sustainability Project, Joline offers sustainable products online.
Images source: LinkedIn
In True Start-up Spirit
Jonathan Goh (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2013), Jeremy Seow (Bachelor of Business Management & Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2013) and Russell Sim (Bachelor of Accountancy & Bachelor of Business Management, Class of 2013), start-up Taxpedited has been successfully accepted into the SMU BIG programme by IIE. Taxpedited aims to develop advanced technology solutions tailored for tax firms, addressing key challenges such as time pressure and the talent crunch.
Image source: LinkedIn
Helping People in Pain
(pic left) Aileen Seah and (pic right) Goh Xin Ying (both BAcc and BBM, Class of 2012) were featured in the CNA Women article for running The Health Collective, which includes 13 clinics that offer chiropractic care, osteopathy, physiotherapy and dental clinics. Through the business chain, Aileen, Xin Ying and a third partner want to challenge the notion that pain is just a part of life.
Images source: LinkedIn
Driving Environmental Impact
As part of Climate Week NYC 2022, Genevieve Soh (Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management, Class of 2013), Head of Platforms & Ecosystems at Climate Impact X (CIX), sat down with Nasdaq to share about why she got involved in the carbon markets, how technology has influenced her role at CIX, and her advice for those who are keen to make a fight against climate change a career.
Image source: LinkedIn
Investigating Tax Evaders
Jeremy Tan (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2015), Manager (Criminal Investigation) at IRAS, transitioned from advising clients on tax strategies at Deloitte to actively investigating and prosecuting tax evaders at IRAS. In an IRAS video series, Jeremy shared on this evolution that has given him the unique opportunity to interact with taxpayers on both extremes of the compliance spectrum.
Image source: LinkedIn
Finding Our Place In An AI World
Benjamin Lee (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2016), spoke on the topic of “Balancing the Scales: Finding our place in an AI world” at the TEDx Singapore Management University 2022: UN:Charted held in May. As an Accountancy graduate, Benjamin discussed how he progressed into his current space of a blend of both Accounting and Analytics as well as what that entails for a world surrounded by intelligent systems.
The State of Innovation and Entreprenuership in SEA
We are proud to highlight the white paper "Catalysing Growth: State of ASEAN University Innovation and Entrepreneurship Report 2024" jointly developed by SMU and Chulalongkorn University, which was co-authored by Gabrielle Tan Lay Khim (Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management, Class of 2010), Assistant Director, SMU’s Institute of Innovation & Entrepreneurship, SMU Accountancy student Dexter Tan and SMU Economics student Abdullah Khurshid. The paper outlines for the first time key trends in the region's innovation space, as well as the increasingly critical role of universities in building regional start-up networks and nurturing entrepreneurial talent.
Image source: LinkedIn
Chartered Star 2022
Tan Cihui (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2012) who was selected as the Chartered Star 2022 for ISCA, represented Singapore at the 2022 One Young World (OYW) Summit for Chartered Accountants Worldwide held in UK. She joined delegates from around the world to debate on key issues the world faces, share ideas and experiences, and work together to formulate and share innovative solutions. Watch her interview video at OYW 2022.
Image source: LinkedIn
Service in Tax Administration
Eileen Tay Qingyun, (Bachelor of Business Management & Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2010, and MSc in Accounting (Data Analytics), Class of 2022) recipient of the IRAS Postgraduate Scholarship, shared in a feature about her decade long service at IRAS. One of her most notable achievements was seeing through the project that simplified tax-filing for taxpayers.
Image source: LinkedIn
Life As A Chief Strategy Officer
Celebrating her new role as Chief Strategy Officer at Tidal Migrations, Krystle Khoo (Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management, Class of 2011), told of her experience when joining the firm in 2020, with a 4 months old in tow, pandemic lockdowns, and moving three times across the US. Krystle shared about carving her own path in Tidal amidst the challenges.
Image source: LinkedIn
When One Career Peak Is Not Enough
Darren Ong (Bachelor of Accountancy and Business Management, Class of 2015) is constantly on the look out for his next challenge. Darren left a promising career in investment banking to join the tech start-up Gojek in Indonesia. In an interview for SMU Blog, Darren shared his experience acclimatizing to the new environment, playing a leading role in Gojek’s US$18bn merger with Tokopedia, the largest-ever in Southeast Asia, in May 2021, and being involved in preparations behind the highly anticipated IPO by GoTo Group which was launched successfully in April 2022.
Business Design to Solve New Problems
Ng Minzhen (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2014) switched from being a management consultant to doing business design. Minzhen shared in an interview article on her work as Business Designer who provides her clients an 'outside-in' perspective based on customer research and design thinking to approach business challenges.
Image source: LinkedIn
Innovation and Taking Charge
Bonnie Wong (Bachelor of Accountancy & Bachelor of Business Management, Class of 2011) shared in interview with The Peak on bringing changes to how her family business, Creative Eateries, operated to move it forward, and balancing her father’s instincts for business opportunities, which grew the company to 34 restaurants in Singapore, with her sensibilities as an accountant.
Global Top Scorer at CPA Australia ExamLim Si Heng (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2024) has emerged Global Top Scorer for his Financial Reporting paper in 2024 under the CPA Program by CPA Australia. Si Heng was awarded the Certificate of Global Achievement in Financial Reporting in recognition of his impressive achievement. |
"Surfing" the Learning Curve and Scoring at SCAQ ExamNeo Yi Ren (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2019) came up tops for the Financial Reporting paper at the December 2019 Singapore Chartered Accountant Qualification (SCAQ) examination. Our students caught up with Yi Ren and he shared how his academic background and knowledge gained from his 2nd Major in Accounting Data & Analytics helped him to strike a balance between work and SCAQ. Yi Ren has also emerged Top Scorer for the Taxation (Professional) module at the SCAQ Exams in December 2020. |
Top Achiever in Singapore at ICAEW 2023 Exams
Congratulations to Christel Choo (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2020), who clinched the Top Achiever Award in Singapore at the ACA Advanced Level 2023 exams, presented by the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).
Image source: LinkedIn
Top Scorer at ICAEW 2021 Exams
Chan Hui Dhar (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2019), Senior Associate at PwC Singapore, clinched the National Top Scorer for the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) Tax Compliance paper at the September 2021 sitting.
Top Scorers at ICAEW 2020 Exams
Proud to share that we have two alumni who have emerged Top Scorers at the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW) August 2020 exams.
Tevin Chew (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2020) Highest Achievement in Corporate Reporting (Advanced Level Exam)
Gu Zhouyi (Master of Professional Accounting, Class of 2018) Higher Achievements in Financial Management (Professional Level Exam)
First Undergraduate from Singapore to achieve top global scorer position at ICAEW 2019 Exams
Sylvia Stephanie Zhao Chan (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2019) was named the joint global top scorer for the ICAEW's Financial Accounting and Reporting (Professional Level) paper at the March 2019 examinations. Sylvia was the first undergraduate student in Singapore to top the ICAEW worldwide leader board in the internationally recognised qualification. She is also the second person in Singapore to win a global prize.
Global Top Scorer at CMA 2020 Exams
Kendrick Low (Bachelor of Accountancy, Class of 2021) received the Priscilla S. Payne Student Performance Award for his outstanding top score among the candidates who took the Certified Management Accountant (CMA) exams globally (by the Institute of Management Accountants) during the Sep-Oct 2020 testing window. The award is presented to the top performing student candidate from around the world who took both CMA Part 1 and Part 2 within the same testing window.
