Editor’s note: Lucia Real-Martin (pictured), Executive Director, Relationships at ACCA shed light on the challenges facing female finance professionals and how aspiring female finance leaders could make progress along their career journeys. This interview is part of FutureCFO's Female Leadership in Finance Series.
FutureCFO: What’s your role at ACCA? What do you enjoy the most in this role?
Lucia Real-Martin (LR): As Executive Director – Relationships, my role focuses on building opportunities for the upskilling of finance and accounting professionals, while contributing to the development of the profession.
My team works to achieve this by building relationships with governments, regulators, employers, and educators – here in Singapore, and all over the world.
I’m incredibly passionate about the enormous opportunities a career in finance and accounting can provide and I find it rewarding to be able to play a part in bringing such opportunities to the new generations across the globe.
I enjoy helping develop the best talent for employers and love seeing our members and students achieve great success in their careers.
I also find the process of starting a new relationship or partnership very rewarding —exploring what both parties bring to the table, and what more we can achieve when we combine our efforts.
I have the privilege of working across global economies and witnessing first-hand the tremendous talent and ambition that is being developed through the opportunities we contribute to and create.
I also thoroughly enjoy working with our diverse and talented teams across the world and learn so much from each one of them in their different capacities and jurisdictions.
A community can be particularly helpful to aspiring female leaders.
FutureCFO: What are the challenges peculiar to female finance and accounting practitioners today?
LR: In a world where stakeholders are demanding accountability from companies and insight into their net zero objectives, green finance is rapidly becoming a hot topic for the finance profession.
Our purpose is to be a force for public good, and the greatest public need of our time is the transition to a greener, fairer, more sustainable world that works for everyone.
Our ‘Accounting for a better world’ initiative is an agenda for action to support the profession in the drive for a sustainable transition, delivering on our own commitments to the UN SDGs and net zero. More importantly, it focuses on upskilling and empowering our members.
It’s great to see so many female leaders championing not just diversity and inclusion, but also taking a lead on sustainability — new areas in the profession where we have to break the cycle and change.
But we can’t rest here, there is still much for us all to do.
A deep knowledge of the wider sustainability agenda and issues is essential, and we’re working to equip ACCA members and future members with these skills through CPD, our qualification and keeping them up to date with the latest developments. We’ve also used the expertise of our members to influence policy in this area with governments and standard setters.
FutureCFO: What’s your advice to younger professionals interested in becoming finance leaders?
LR: I would say that being equipped with a global qualification offering diverse opportunities in a variety of sectors, geographies and roles is a great investment in their future.
My advice would be to plan your journey but be prepared to deviate from the plan. Take every available opportunity and never be afraid to punch above your weight and take some risks, even if this means reaching for opportunities before you feel you’re 100% ready.
Also don’t be afraid to show how you can encompass ambition but at the same time have different aspects to your life.
Very importantly, a mentor and being surrounded by a supporting community can help navigate a difficult path, stop the inner critic, and help build courage to take next steps. I have been very fortunate to have amazing mentors, that have helped me see the potential and clear the fear away.
A community can be particularly helpful to aspiring female leaders. I’ve seen first-hand the opportunities and support that’s come through meeting people on a similar journey. Building networks and connections in Singapore, across the ASEAN region and the world really has been invaluable for me. Shared success is a very important dimension of being a leader.
I’d encourage all young professionals to imagine how things could be, not just how they are now, and seize all opportunities that can help achieve their long-term aspirations. ACCA careers are about thinking ahead, harnessing technology and making decisions that benefit businesses, the planet and all of us.
I get inspired meeting our members and future members in Singapore and the region, because they are often much clearer than I ever was at their career point on the role they can play not just on driving business outcomes but improving people’s lives and helping protect the environment. This is the power of being part of a global community of ACCA professionals, it really is your professional family.
It’s great to see the increasing opportunities and benefits they bring to individuals, families and the organisations they work for.
But that’s not the whole story. There is a very significant talent shortage in the sectors, which is going to grow. Governments and policymakers in the region must make it a priority to strengthen and grow the accountancy profession.
Key to this is the development of fair and inclusive education policies that enable anyone to access professional qualifications within finance and accountancy.
Plan your journey but be prepared to deviate from the plan
FutureCFO: Tell me something about yourself: What are you hobbies? How are some of these help you relax outside work? Do some of them inspire your work as a senior executive?
LR: I have a very busy family life with teenage and adult children so between work and home it can be hard to find spare time.
Family and friendships are very important to me, I also love nature and enjoy the outdoors, so I try to combine seeing family and friends with outdoor activities like hiking and bushwalking.
I don’t always look for balance, just to be able to have some moments whether on holidays or at weekends.
I have also recently come back to doing yoga which I had not practiced for many years, and I am enjoying it immensely.
My motto overall is to bring purpose to what I do, and I feel privileged to work in a profession and organisation that is so purposefully led.
