Meet a Chartered Accountant...

Name: Stuart Nelmes CA Position: Financial Investigator Organisation: Australian Securities & Investments Commission

My present position with ASIC is as a financial investigator, with my focus being on large criminal investigations. I have been a member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia since 2006.

Perhaps the best way to describe a typical day as a financial investigator is that there is no such thing! On any day I might be involved in examining a witness or person of interest using our powers under the ASIC Act, reviewing accounting and bank records to identify any suspicious transactions and unravel complex financial arrangements. As part of my job I also may need to issue notices for documents to be produced or conduct a review of emails to establish relationships, communications and knowledge. It would be a fair comment to say that I never know what each day will bring.

The most enjoyable thing about being an investigator is that I need to be a very lateral thinker to be successful. I am confronted with things that will not always make commercial sense, and I need to be mindful of why that may be the case. Plus the fact I tend to ask a lot of questions may make me suited to being an investigator!

Given that I am working with people from non-accounting backgrounds, such as from various law enforcement bodies and the legal profession, the culture is completely different to what I had experienced working in an accounting practice. Some of these big investigations can take several years to run and to stay focused for that amount of time takes a lot of patience. At the same time, you are not working with clients whose interests are aligned with those of your firm. You might spend weeks reviewing a single transaction in extreme detail, from all angles.

I believe I have obtained an excellent work-life balance in my current role, and never feel pressured to sacrifice any of my personal time. I have plenty of time to hit the gym or play sports, head to the beach, indulge in some reading or travel overseas. For example last summer I was lucky enough to do some volunteer work for a wildlife project in northern Madagascar.

I was first exposed to the Chartered Accountants Program at university, and was encouraged to participate in it upon starting work as a graduate in the Business Services division of a second-tier accounting firm. One of the main attractions of the Program is that it forces you to understand areas you may not get exposed to in your daily role. The outcome is that it produces accountants who have an understanding of various areas of business.

The knowledge I have gained from the Program has certainly contributed to being able to do my job as a financial investigator. Also, becoming a Chartered Accountant is viewed as an achievement within the business world, and will assist anybody wishing to establish themselves in business.

To anyone considering the Chartered Accountants Program, I would strongly suggest that you are prepared to put in the work. There can be no illusions that it is going to be a walk in the park. The most important aspect to completing the Program is being able to focus on the key areas. It is about studying smart and not necessarily hard.

Looking back on my study and career, I can say with some conviction that I would not do a single thing differently.