Diversity in Leadership: Spotlight on female leaders
Mazars
This blog is part of the Asian Business Chamber of Commerce’s (ABCC) Diversity in Leadership campaign.
The Diversity in Leadership campaign works with some of the regions’ biggest employers in order to boost the numbers of women and those from black and minority ethnic (BAME), lesbian gay bisexual and transgender (LGBT) and disability groups being represented on boards of directors and in leadership roles.
Click here to find out more about the campaign
Tejal Bhogaita is a corporate assistant in the Tax Advisory team at Mazars who is based in Milton Keynes.
In this blog, Tejal takes us through her journey to starting her tax career, her motivations and what a good leader means to her:
Since joining Mazars two years ago I’ve been exposed to a wide variety of work.
Initially I worked in our private client team and I’ve now rotated into corporate tax. In addition to this, I’m a part of our applicant mentoring scheme and a point of contact within the Milton Keynes office as a pre-on boarding buddy for new joiners.
I completed a dual qualification in Masters of Accounting and Financial Management, and was part-qualified in chartered accountancy (ICAI) in India.
After getting married I moved to the UK, and decided to start studying for the ACA rather than completing my ICAI qualification and then converting to the ACA.
So, I joined Mazars as an ACA graduate tax trainee, and later transitioned into a joint program for ACA/CTA.
Having lived in three different countries (Oman, India and now the UK), I think one of my strongest qualities is agility - I easily adapt to new environments.
This has helped me in developing friendships, and in adapting to various working styles within my team very quickly.
Leadership includes qualities like being a strategic thinker and influencer while remaining approachable.
A good leader has the ability to encourage contributions in any form from all within the team to achieve a target. This is something for me to work on as I progress in my career.
I believe problem solving motivates me the most.
I usually apply this skill in advisory projects where I try to understand the client issue and its parameters, and develop solutions that fit within those parameters.
Of course, a focus on constant learning and improvement makes me what I am today. I believe in absorbing, learning and implementing the knowledge I gain and constantly seek feedback to improve. My ultimate motive is to exceed client expectations – internal or external.
On reflection my advice to anyone starting their careers is know your goals and strengths. Take small steps.
Challenge yourself when ready. Look back at your achievements; this will make you more confident. Keep improving!
If you are interested in learning more about Mazars and our current vacancies, please contact adam.iqbal@mazars.co.uk.