One Young World Belfast 2023

Liam Guthrie

ICAS

Liam Guthrie CA is a Senior Decision Support Consultant at Phoenix Group the UK’s largest long-term savings and retirement business. Liam is in the relatively early stages of his career having undertaken a rotational finance graduate scheme between September 2019 and May 2022 before starting in his current role.

In March 2023, Liam was admitted as an ICAS Chartered Accountant and had the privilege of being the keynote speaker at their admissions ceremony, delivering a speech which detailed his experience of working and studying towards the CA qualification during the pandemic, and the benefits of being a part of the ICAS Foundation student and alumni programmes, to around 235 attendees including peers and their family and friends. Liam is an advocate and alumni ambassador of the ICAS Foundation which is a charity he has benefitted first hand from in the past. The foundation supports academically talented individuals from lower socio-economic backgrounds by providing them financial and mentoring support whilst they study Accounting or Finance at university.

Liam is keen to advance Social Mobility in education and the workplace and does this through supporting the Phoenix Group’s finance graduate scheme as well as mentoring new colleagues during onboarding. He is also in the process of becoming a Social Mobility Foundation mentor and spreads the word on the work of the ICAS Foundation as an alumni ambassador.

Liam also featured in the CA Magazine in April 2023 alongside two other CAs who were being admitted in 2023. During the interview for the magazine, Liam covered a number of topics including the challenges of working and studying during the pandemic, how important the values of his employer are to him and how they resonate with him, concerns around sustainability and encouraging more people from a variety of backgrounds in to the accountancy profession.

Liswaniso Namatama

ZICA

Liswaniso holds a CA Advisory Professional in Accountancy qualification and is a member of the Zambia Institute of Chartered Accountants. He obtained 2 best performing student awards in cost accounting and audit principles and practice. He was born in a family of 3 from Mr Liswaniso Namatama (Snr) and Ms Judith Lushaba. He has 2 elder sisters and resides in Lusaka, Zambia. Liswaniso Namatama is an audit senior at ACTCO Accountants, he is an auditor with a track record of strong work ethic, Integrity, professionalism, multi-tasker, and leadership skills. He has 4 years’ experience in external audit, accounting and advisory. He is responsible for strategic planning of engagements, supervision of staff and ensuring that the reporting is of high quality and meets the clients’/ Group auditors’ expectation. He possesses plenty of exposure and skills which he obtained from servicing high degree clients from a wide range of sectors such as multinational companies, mining companies, not for profit organisations, and local SMEs clients. Liswaniso’s objective is to inspire others to achieve growth and fulfil their full potential through education as it is the pathway to success. He also has keen interest in changes in technology as the world is an ever-changing environment and there is need to keep up with the latest technological developments in the accounting industry as well as other industries. Liswaniso enjoys listening to current affairs, watching sports, listening to music, travelling, learning about financial markets, and spending time with family and friends.

Peter Gillen

Chartered Accountants Ireland

Peter is a Sustainability Manager in the Financial Services Advisory team of Grant Thornton in Dublin and he is passionate about this work in support of SDG 13 – climate action. A graduate of Trinity College, Peter began his career training with PwC in their Risk Assurance department before his passion for sustainability led him to joining the Sustainability team in Grant Thornton. As part of his role supporting clients navigate their sustainability journeys, Peter has worked closely with the EU in drafting the European sustainability reporting standards for several key industries and has facilitated workshops on the Textiles sector standard to over 135 stakeholder organisations reporting companies, NGOs, and industry groups. Peter is involved with several initiatives which help further the SDGs including Chair of the Institute’s Young Professionals Committee and Mentor for the Trinity Alumni Mentoring Programme and has been a vocal advocate and ambassador for the profession for many years.

Veronica Beilby

CAANZ

Veronica is an experienced accounting and education leader with over 20 years experience. Veronica is currently a Learning Design Lead at PriceWaterhouseCoopers and is a Case Study Examiner for the ICAEW, and also currently involved in a research project for the Said Business School of Oxford University. Prior to leaving Australia, Veronica was involved in delivering the CA Program for 14 years, including delivering online webinars, facilitating face to face workshops and masterclasses, technical content review and exam marking. Veronica was also the Vice Chair of the CA ANZ Brisbane Commerce Committee. Veronica also lectured undergraduate, post graduate and MBA courses in accounting and audit topics for Queensland University of Technology, Griffith University and The University of Queensland. Whilst living in the USA, Veronica was the Secretary of the Executive Committee and Board of Chartered Accountants Worldwide Network USA (formerly ACAUS), and involved in the creation and review of the online learning offerings provided by CAW Network USA – including the online IQEX Exam Preparation course. In her spare time, Veronica is interested in anthropology, indigenous cultures and history, and enjoys exploring the UK, hiking whenever possible and traveling internationally.

Mathabo Zandile Makhaya

SAICA

Mathabo is a distinguished Chartered Accountant with a wealth of expertise. Currently serving as the Senior Treasury Manager at Harmony Gold Mining Company, she stands as a seasoned figure in the financial industry. Beyond her managerial role, Mathabo's influence extends to the realm of governance, where she shines as a Non-Executive Director on the Board of the Mine Workers Provident Fund (MWPF). Her leadership extends to pivotal sub-committees, namely the Investment and Audit & Risk sub-committees, which collectively oversee a substantial asset portfolio valued at R34.5 billion. This immense responsibility entails safeguarding the financial interests of approximately 68,000 members entrenched in the mining sector.

Mathabo's prowess in assessing unlisted investments further underlines her capabilities as an independent expert. Her commitment to excellence and authentic leadership did not go unnoticed, as she triumphed in the "Authentic Leader" and "Lift Up Leader in Business" categories at the prestigious YLC (Young Leaders Connect) inaugural 2022 Awards. Such recognition propelled her to take on a prominent role within the YLC as the Co-Lead for the Board Leadership pillar furthering her commitment to empowering women and the next pipeline of women leaders.

Her ascent in the financial and leadership spheres culminated in a remarkable achievement: Mathabo clinched the coveted title of the Overall Winner in the SAICA 35 under 35 competition in 2022. This accolade aptly acknowledged her instrumental contributions to society, particularly her empowerment of women and unwavering dedication to driving diversity, equity, and inclusion across her multifaceted roles.

Mathabo's career journey epitomizes not only professional excellence but also a steadfast commitment to fostering positive change. Her unrelenting dedication to finance, governance, and social impact continue to leave an indelible mark on her industry and the broader community.

Jeremy Cheong Wen Jing

ISCA

Jeremy is a Chartered Accountant (Singapore) and has over 7 years of public accounting experience with PricewaterhouseCoopers LLP, Singapore. At work, Jeremy has experience providing external assurance services to companies in various industries, including sustainability, technology and defence.

He graduated from Nanyang Technological University with a degree in Engineering and has taken an unconventional route into the accountancy profession. By breaking down these barriers, Jeremy hopes to serve as an inspiration to the young professionals who seek a career in accounting and change the future of the profession.

In his free time, he enjoys rowing, hunting for good food, and spending quality time with his family.

Abigail Foster

ICAEW

Abigail Foster is a 29-year-old from Croydon, London, an ACA accountant, and the founder of Elent Financial Education. Abi teaches financial education in schools, workplaces and on social media with a following of 65k and counting on Instagram. Elent’s mission is to eradicate inequality gaps by teaching financial education to those in need.

Mishka Hajee

SAICA

Mishka Hajee is a chartered accountant from South Africa. After undertaking the seven-year journey of qualifying as a chartered accountant in her home country, she moved to London for work and thereafter settled in Dublin where she now practices as an internal auditor in the banking sector. Having a single mother who works as a social worker in South Africa as her inspiration, Mishka developed a passion for community service and spearheaded several initiatives during her schooling years. She also took up leadership positions such as, in 2010, being treasurer to her Rotary student chapter's outreach committee where she was awarded the Rotary Four Way Test Award. Mishka is a passionate poet and writer which she finds useful in progressing her social justice ambitions. In 2013, she was placed in the SAICA Student Leadership Summit Top 30 for her essay on Corporate Social Responsibility. Since qualifying as a Chartered Accountant and establishing herself in the corporate world, Mishka's has focused her efforts primarily on the empowerment of young girls and women through education. Mishka served as a volunteer at the Business Women's Association of South Africa's programme for young girls 'Winning in the Workplace' and is currently an EPIC Programme Mentor through Business in the Community in Ireland. Mishka is currently interested in NGO Sustainability and presently serves as the Head of Sustainability at Muslim Sisters of Eire.