16/05/2026
On Tuesday 12 May, we had the opportunity to participate in the Executive Mentoring Programme hosted by Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand in partnership with the University of Auckland.
The programme brought together university students and senior professionals from across Accounting, Finance, and Business for a day focused on mentorship, honest conversations, and career development. Through small-group discussions and networking, students were able to hear directly from experienced industry leaders about their career journeys, challenges, lessons learned, and advice for navigating both professional and personal growth.
A special thank you to Helen Delaney, Deputy Dean of the University of Auckland’s Faculty for Business and Economics, for opening the programme with such encouraging and thoughtful insights, reminding students that self-doubt is often only a small part of a much bigger and exciting journey ahead.
We would also like to extend a sincere thank you to keynote speaker Chun Leung for sharing such valuable reflections and insights with students throughout the day. Drawing from his own experiences growing up and navigating his personal and professional journey, his perspectives on curiosity, growth, resilience, communication, and learning from those around you left a strong impression on all students.
We also extend a heartfelt thank you to all of the executive mentors. Your honesty, vulnerability, and generosity in sharing your life experiences mean magnitudes. You truly help shape the next generation by helping us navigate uncertainty, embrace continuous learning, and constant reflection:
• Gilbert Yoo, Partner at BDO New Zealand
• Miranti Utami, Vice President at Jarden
• Peter Lee, Founder of P&C Consulting Ltd
• Lara Utatao, General Manager at NZ Super Fund
• Linda Waddington-Miller, Board Director
• Kim Choromanski, Director at PwC New Zealand (And one of Beta Alpha Psi - The Auckland Chapter’s founding members!)
• Sungesh Singh, Partner at UHY Haines Norton Auckland Ltd
• Wendy van der Walt, Director at Accor
• Liz O'Neil, CFO at Kāinga Ora - Homes and Communities
• Debby Wong, Director at OCS Australia & New Zealand
• Chun Leung, Head of Finance at Goodman Fielder
• Richard Tims, Chief Digital & Data Officer at Vector
We also want to acknowledge and thank Chartered Accountants Australia and New Zealand and everyone involved in organising the programme, including Jacklyn Lim, Christine McKinnon, Ashleigh, and Anthony M. for creating such a meaningful initiative.. A huge thank you as well to our Faculty Advisors, Frederick Ng, and Julie Harrison for helping support this initiative.
We are grateful to have had the opportunity to support and participate in such an impactful event, and we look forward to seeing the continued impact of initiatives like this in helping students build confidence, connections, and clarity as they begin their professional journeys.