INTHEBLACK December 2023/January 2024 Special Edition - Flipbook - Page 35
GOING GLOBAL
After returning home in 1981, the Telugu accountant,
for whom English is a second language, obtained a
position in the Central Bank of Malaysia. There, he
learned banking skills such as foreign loans, forex and
the operation of domestic banks.
In 1983, he joined the Swedish-owned Malaysian
Match Company as financial controller, gaining
knowledge of manufacturing financial accounting,
human resources and labour relations. He was
seconded to New Zealand in 1986 to work in a
consultancy role setting up a general, computer-based
accounting system incorporating GST.
Two years later, seeking a challenge, Santhariah took a
role as financial controller for Wool Auctions of Australia.
“I had to learn the role quickly to work with
Aussies who were mostly from sheep farms, as well
as the accounting and audit standards applicable in
Australia,” he says. “I also had to convert the manual
bookkeeping to a computer-based accounting system.”
During this time, Santhariah completed his CPA
studies and a master of business administration
(MBA) in international business from the University
of Western Sydney. “I wanted to work in an
international company as a financial controller,
and the MBA gave me the springboard,” he says.
His next appointment, from 1996 to 2010, was
with Tarkett, a multinational company with a turnover
of A$40 million and 42 employees, as finance and
administration manager.
STRATEGIC UPSKILLING intheblack.cpaaustralia.com.au 35
