Editor’s note: In today’s A Day in the Life, Nguyễn Trung Ngân (pictured), tax senior manager at Deloitte Vietnam, shares with FutureCFO audiences how leading a complex transfer pricing audit for a multinational client became pivotal for her career and how her passion for public writing became one of her greatest sources of inspiration.
FutureCFO: What does a typical day look like for you?
Nguyễn Trung Ngân (NTN): My typical day is a balance of technical depth, strategic thinking, and building meaningful connections with my clients, my team and my community.
I’m very much a morning person. Coffee in hand, laptop open, I’m usually one of the first to arrive at the office, when the world outside is still quiet. I like to start my day early, using those fresh morning hours to review client matters, think through strategies, and plan ahead with a clear mind.
Most of my day revolves around helping multinational clients shape their business models and set prices for cross-border transactions within their group - what we call transfer pricing.
No two projects are ever the same, which keeps things interesting. I spend a lot of time in client discussion, exploring how their businesses work, and helping them build smart, sustainable structures that align with local tax and transfer pricing rules.
Once a direction is set, I work closely with my team to deliver these solutions - balancing technical excellence with practicality and business sense. Together, we’re not just solving technical issues; we’re building models that help businesses grow with transparency and
confidence.
Beyond client work, a large part of my day is dedicated to team management and talent development - something I care deeply about.
Together with the management team, I help ensure that every member understands our firm’s vision, their role within it, and feels a real sense of purpose. I believe that when people connect with a mission bigger than themselves, we all move forward together.
I’m passionate about frequent “check-ins” with my team members - not just to review performance, but to offer feedback, celebrate growth, and map out future development.
It’s a commitment I hold close: to nurture the next generation, not just deliver daily work.
I also proudly represent our tax team in working with HR team on talent matters. One of the things I enjoy most is engaging with young Gen Z professionals entering the workplace - speaking at talent talks, orientation events, and mentoring programs. Every time I meet fresh, passionate faces ready to embark on their journey, it reminds me why I started and renews my own energy for what’s ahead.
Evenings are when I reflect, recharge, and sometimes write - capturing insights, stories, or simply thoughts from the day. Writing has become a way for me to reconnect with the purpose behind my work, to reconnect with myself, a space for self-reflection and expressing how I see the world around me.
While no two days are exactly the same, the constant in my day is this: a drive to connect - to connect numbers to purpose, strategies to success, and people to their fullest potential.
FutureCFO: What excites you the most when you work with the Finance Function?
NTN: What excites me most when working with finance leaders is the human side of complexity - the ability to understand their unique perspectives, connect deeply, and co-create solutions that truly make a difference.
Each CFO, each finance function, brings their own strengths, concerns, and priorities. Some are focused on managing tax risks, others on optimising cash flow, enabling new investments, or designing more efficient cross-border business structures. No conversations are ever the same - and that’s exactly what keeps me inspired.
It’s like solving a new puzzle each time, guided by the client’s vision and grounded in our technical expertise.
In one of my very first engagements with a very high-profile Group CFO, I was nervous, trying to get everything "right." But what I learned quickly was this: the key is not to see client as “a company,” but to see “the person” behind the title who I am dealing with.
When you genuinely listen, adapt your communication style, and treat them as individuals with respect, curiosity, and empathy, then something shifts. They feel seen, valued, and understood. And that’s when you move from being a service provider to becoming a trusted advisor.
Nguyễn Trung Ngân, tax senior manager, Deloitte Vietnam
What energises me most is the quality and depth of the conversations we get to have, it is not just solving problems, but identifying the right problems. It’s about uncovering the real pain points that finance leaders may not have voiced yet - and then delivering solutions that go beyond expectations.
That moment when a CFO says, “This is exactly what we needed - and more” - that’s what I work for. Together, we discuss how to design cross-border business models that balance risk and efficiency, how to build pricing policies that truly reflect both economic substance and regulatory expectations, and how to turn tax and transfer pricing from a perceived burden into a strategic tool for the business.
Being part of those transformative moments - when finance leaders realise that tax can be a lever for growth, not just compliance - is incredibly rewarding.
FutureCFO: Can you share an experience which was key to your professional growth?
NTN: One key experience that accelerated my growth was when I shifted my mindset from being a "technical problem-solver" to becoming a "trusted business advisor."
Early in my career, I focused heavily on delivering technically correct work. But over time, especially during high-stakes projects involving multinational clients and regulatory negotiations, I realised that technical expertise is just the foundation.
What clients and teams truly value is the ability to navigate complexity, anticipate risks, and provide clear, actionable advice that connects with business reality.
One of the most pivotal experiences in my professional journey was leading my first complex transfer pricing audit for a multinational client, a project that truly tested every dimension of my capabilities.
Transfer pricing audits are not just about reviewing numbers on a page. They are intricate and multi-layered which requires a deep dive into business models, intercompany relationships, industry dynamics, and evolving tax regulations. It’s a real-world chess game where every move matters, and every piece - financial data, legal contracts, operational substance - must align under intense scrutiny and huge pressure.
For this project, I wasn’t just executing tasks; I was entrusted with setting the entire strategy. I had to see the case through multiple lenses at once: the client’s commercial realities, the regulatory expectations, the risks hidden beneath seemingly ordinary transactions, and even the subtle nuances in the tax authority’s approach and mindset.
Technical knowledge alone wasn’t enough. What truly made a difference was the ability to connect the dots - to translate complex regulations into a practical, defensible story that made sense for both the client and the tax authority. It demanded not only analytical precision but also creativity, empathy, and a long-term vision.
The experience was transformative. It taught me that real value lies in bridging compliance, strategy, and trust into one seamless narrative. It also showed me that the most complex challenges often carry the greatest opportunities for growth - if we dare to embrace them.
Since then, I’ve come to believe that professional growth begins the moment we step beyond technical comfort zones and ask deeper questions: not just how to do something, but why it matters - to the business, to the community, and to the future we are building.
FutureCFO: Can you briefly describe your career journey and one or two highlights along that journey?
NTN: I was born and raised in a small town in Can Tho City, the heart of the Mekong Delta in Vietnam - a place where life flows gently along the rivers, where kindness is abundant, but opportunities for higher education, especially for girls, are often limited.
From an early age, I believed deeply in the power of lifelong learning - that only education could change my life, and one day, help me create change for other girls in my hometown.
After graduating from Can Tho University, I took my first life-changing step: earning an internship at a Big 4 firm in Ho Chi Minh City.
Moving to Ho Chi Minh city opened a whole new world for me - a city full of dynamism, energy, and endless possibilities.
I still remember feeling overwhelmed during those early days - surrounded by incredibly talented peers with privileged backgrounds. Coming from a small town, I sometimes felt out of place, wondering if I could ever catch up.
I spoke with my mentor about my concerns, and her advice was simple but profound: “Invest in yourself. Build your foundation through professional qualifications”.
Following that advice, I decided to pursue the ACCA qualification. It turned out to be one of the best decisions of my professional life. Later on, my journey led me to be featured in ACCA Global’s AB Accounting and Business Magazine for sharing my passion for lifelong learning and my mission to foster gender equity.
After completing ACCA, I continued to follow my belief in lifelong learning by pursuing an MBA at the French-Vietnamese Center for Management (CFVG), where I graduated with high distinction. One of the highlights of that journey was my MBA dissertation on “Factors affecting affective commitment to the organization of Gen Z”, which was published in the Special Issue of the Asia-Pacific Economic Review by the Research Institution for Innovation and Development in December 2021.
A second turning point came when I decided to move from Ho Chi Minh City to Hanoi and take on a management role at Deloitte.
Hanoi’s quiet charm and deep-rooted culture taught me that leadership isn’t just about skills - it’s about trust, empathy, and thinking with intention.
One of the proudest milestones in my journey was being selected as a Deloitte SEA Next Gen Leader in 2021 - a two-year program for high-potential individuals. That experience was truly transformative. It sharpened my leadership skills and gave me the confidence to lead with heart and clarity.
Looking back, each chapter - studying ACCA, moving cities, embracing leadership challenges - has shaped me into who I am today: someone who believes deeply in lifelong learning, in lifting others as we rise, and in creating impact that lasts far beyond myself.
FutureCFO: Tell us something about yourself outside of work.
NTN: Outside of work, one of my greatest sources of inspiration has been my passion for public writing on social media platforms such as LinkedIn and Facebook. What started as a simple way to share professional insights soon became a larger part of who I am - a space where I could blend technical expertise with storytelling and meaningful connection.
That’s how I began to think of myself as a “happy writer” - someone who sees writing not just as communication, but as a bridge between expertise and human stories.
Beyond technical topics like tax and transfer pricing, I also write about the everyday journeys of young Gen Z professionals who are striving to carve out their own identities, about inspiring individuals I have had the privilege to meet, about my personal growth journey, and about the cause I deeply care about - fostering gender equity in society.
Through writing, I find a way to reflect, to connect, and to quietly contribute a positive voice to the community.
This passion eventually led me to embark on a project that was truly meaningful to me: writing my first book. Through this journey, I shared the true secret of transfer pricing - revealing how this often misunderstood technical area is, in fact, the backbone of sustainable and transparent business operations for multinational enterprises.
The book allowed me to explore the deeper meaning behind the rules: how transfer pricing, when done right, strengthens trust in business, fosters fairness, and supports sustainable growth across borders. It helped me see the beauty in what many might call "technical work" - and gave me an even stronger sense of purpose in my professional path.
Another important part of my inspiration comes from my role as an ACCA advocate. Being able to give back to the ACCA community means a great deal to me. ACCA has been a cornerstone of my journey - equipping me with the finance and accounting knowledge that built the foundation for everything I have achieved.
Serving as an advocate allows me to not only express my gratitude but also to inspire others, especially young professionals who are just beginning their journeys, to believe in the transformative power of education, resilience, and lifelong learning.
All of these experiences - writing, publishing, giving back - have reinforced my simple belief: When you invest in sharing knowledge, you are investing in a better, more connected world.
And that belief continues to guide both my work and my life.
