My Path to CPA: From Bangladesh’s Navy to Canada’s Blackberry
Abu Sufian, MBA, CPA, CMA worked in the Bangladesh Navy for several years before moving to Canada in 2013. That same year, he started his MBA and shifted to a combined MBA/CPA program.
For Abu, after serving in the Navy, a career as a CPA offered the challenges he was looking for, along with the potential for career growth and leadership opportunities. And he saw that his previous experience in leadership, responsibility and strategic thinking set him apart.
Abu is proud of his career pivot and believes getting his CPA designation was the best decision he made. Now he continues to grow in his career in BlackBerry. Abu shares with us his path and challenges to the CPA designation.
Where did you start your career and how did you get to where you are today?
“Don’t join in Navy. I want you to be a doctor.” That’s what my father said when I had a brilliant result in grade 12. But I was adamant to join. To me, joining the Navy presented a chance to serve my country, enhance my leadership skills and expand my horizons beyond the norm. Above all, it was a choice to diverge from the mainstream and commit myself to a path that I believed in.
I have no doubt that I made the right decision. My unique combination of experiences in leadership, responsibility and strategic thinking sets me apart. I would not be where I am today without that choice.
Having spent considerable time and energy serving in the Navy and acquiring a significant amount of managerial and leadership skills, a challenge-free career certainly is the opposite of what I am interested in. I took early retirement in 2011 and started to work in the corporate world as an HR professional.
My wife wanted to pursue her higher education in Canada, so we as a family, with our two young kids, moved to Canada in 2013. The same year, I started my MBA at Wilfrid Laurier University. During my studies, I also discovered my passion for working with numbers and decided to pursue my CPA designation, leading to my second career in the finance and accounting sector.
Before landing a full-time finance job, I volunteered as an accountant at the Canadian Legion and worked as a consultant for a small company. I then landed my first job as a financial analyst at BlackBerry. During my time at BlackBerry, I have maximized my learning and growth by taking advantage of every opportunity for job rotation and mentorship. For the last four years, I have been working in a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) role for the BlackBerry Cyber business.
Reflecting on my 8-year finance career, I cannot be prouder of the accomplishments I have achieved so far. Undoubtedly, obtaining my CPA designation has been the best decision I have made to complement my career. I highly recommend that anyone who wishes to explore a career in the accounting and finance field should obtain the CPA designation.
What does your day-to-day look like?
Since 2019, I have been working in a financial planning and analysis (FP&A) role. A significant portion of my time is spent on developing and executing the annual and monthly budgets in collaboration with key stakeholders to ensure strategic alignment. I also perform monthly financial closing processes, which require preparing and reviewing journal entries, accruals and variance analyses. I also provide financial analysis to assist in decision-making and spend a fair bit of time analyzing financial data, identifying trends, risks and opportunities and presenting my findings to senior leaders and business heads to drive effective decision-making.
What was the most challenging part of getting your CPA designation?
Managing the cost to cover the tuition fees was the most challenging part. Thankfully, student loans provided significant assistance in covering the majority of my study expenses.
What do you wish you knew at the start of your career?
Early in my career, I wish I could give more importance to developing soft skills such as communication, leadership, and interpersonal skill. These skills are the key to being effective and successful in any kind of role. Additionally, I believe that establishing important networks early on in one's career can lead to numerous opportunities for job finding and professional growth.
What are you most passionate about?
I enjoy identifying and solving complex financial and business issues with creative solutions. My analytical and critical thinking skills serve as a valuable tool in this regard. I also enjoy helping people with their job search, which involves providing mentorship, assistance with resume preparation, and other forms of support.
What is something you want to learn?
I have gained some scripting knowledge while working with analytical dashboards. I am interested in taking my skills to the next level by learning Python, which can be beneficial for machine learning, data science and AI applications. I also want to learn SQL database management to complement my current skill in business intelligence, forecasting, and financial modeling.
Do you have any advice for aspiring CPAs?
The CPA designation demands commitment, diligence and a goal-driven mindset. When pursuing the designation, it’s important to plan and understand the educational and work requirements because of the significant investment in time and resources. Aspiring CPAs should also look for the opportunities to develop soft skills, such as communication, leadership and interpersonal, through volunteering, networking and extracurricular activities as they are the foundation of future success.