James: embracing new experiences to ignite his passions
James: igniting passions through new experiences
James Goh
Risk Consulting Manager
Mazars in Singapore
What is the most rewarding part about being a consultant?
The best part is the opportunity to meet clients from different walks of life! I find great joy in interacting with clients and developing tailored recommendations that bring tangible value to their business. I learned how to effectively communicate our solutions to secure buy-in. The dynamic nature of consulting ensures that no two clients or audit issues are alike.
As I explored working with clients from various industries, I gained exposure to different types of projects such as internal audit, Business Process Improvement (BPI), and transformation. These experiences have helped to hone my technical skillset and broaden my horizon.
You’ve had an impressive career so far, what has helped you evolve in your career?
Shadowing my mentors Chester Liew, Kee Yin Lai and Damien Yong, has helped me to grow professionally. Constant communication with them and looking at how they conduct themselves at work has taught me valuable things like: (i) effective communication with clients, both verbal and written; (ii) the ability to think outside the box, drafting audit issues from different angles to reach out to different stakeholders and generate buy-in; (iii) exuding confidence when doing presentation to an Audit Committee or the Management team.
What is the most valuable lesson you’ve learnt throughout your mentoring sessions?
I have learnt a lot of things throughout my time as a consultant here: keep your emotions in check, don’t let your feelings get the better of you; learn how to pivot and present issues from different angles to gather buy in; and as a pre-requisite, ensure that we have done the work and we have got the facts.
What’s an activity that grants you pure escapism? How does this hobby help you to be productive at work?
It’s definitely boxing for me. Boxing requires me to be focused on one task, that is avoiding punches or getting hit in the face. I need to constantly think on my feet in the ring to counter my opponent’s strikes. I learn not to make the same mistakes twice so that I would not get hit again.
The skills I gained from boxing translate well to my work as a consultant. I developed the ability to be more focused and concentrate deeply in my projects. The ability to think strategically and adopt a growth mindset by learning from my mistakes helps me to respond to challenges at work.
Where do you see yourself in the next 5 years?
In the next five years, I plan to continue in the line of risk consulting with enhanced knowledge and technical skills. I hope to bring more value to my clients by offering expertise in areas such as governance, risk management or internal control processes to steer them towards future success.