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Why ‘creative accountants’ are needed for the future of the profession

Cultivating an innovative mindset as part of the profession’s DNA will enable us to reinforce our core objectives of building trust, while creating long-term value

    • Lee Sze Yeng, managing partner at KPMG Singapore, says redesigning the accountancy workforce starts with a new approach towards attracting the next generation of talent.
    • Lee Sze Yeng, managing partner at KPMG Singapore, says redesigning the accountancy workforce starts with a new approach towards attracting the next generation of talent. PHOTO: KPMG
    Published Fri, Sep 27, 2024 · 05:00 AM

    ACCOUNTANCY and design are not typically words one would tie together. But with the accounting profession now almost unrecognisable from the one I joined when I started at KPMG some 30 years ago, it has become crucial to recognise that they are interlinked.

    Accountants today are fast evolving to become “creative designers of businesses” who have to embody the tenets of design thinking and innovation in a nuanced yet important way, akin to a creative production team that works in the background to bring ideas and solutions to life.

    Rethinking how we grow accountants of the future is even more critical, with the recent Accountancy Workforce Review Committee’s report highlighting significant challenges for the profession.

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