Eight questions with… Reabetswe Moutlana

Reabetswe Moutlana, Manager in FSO Assurance – Aircraft Leasing at EY Ireland, talks to The Bottom Line about her time studying to become a Chartered Accountant in South Africa, the importance of always being open to learning and how much she admires her big sister

Five years ago, where did you think you would be now? Have you lived up to your own expectations?

I thought I would be a fully qualified Chartered Accountant living and working abroad as an audit manager. It feels great to know that that’s where I am right now. The only difference is that I am in Ireland instead of London, as life worked out. 

However, this has come to be the best decision I have ever made. 

Of course, like many, I imagined working in some high skyscraper building, doing some really important work. (I’m not currently working in a skyscraper, but definitely doing important work). 

What has been the biggest challenge of your career? 

Life after articles. The Chartered Accountant stream (from a South African perspective) means seven years of your life after high school are pretty much predetermined in that you do your undergrad, postgrad, articles and then qualify. 

When you qualify, you have “limitless opportunities”. It can be pretty overwhelming planning out your first big move and which direction to take your career in.

What do you wish you had known earlier in life?

Someone told me that your career is long and that you, therefore, don’t have to have it all figured out at 25. Some people know from a young age exactly what they want, and some are still figuring it out. Both are perfectly fine.

Where do you see yourself this time next year?

Hopefully, I will be closer to my dream of pursuing an MBA in Europe.

Who inspires you, personally and professionally?

My big sister, Kamogelo Kroll, inspires me both personally and professionally. 
I call her my deputy mom as she is 13 years my senior, and I have gained so much wisdom from her. 

She is a qualified Chartered Accountant herself, and many will say I followed in big sister’s footsteps, which is actually untrue, as I planned my own journey. It just happened to be quite similar to hers. 

I can, however, acknowledge that I have been incredibly blessed to have had someone who has walked this path before me and has guided me through, not just professionally but in my personal life, too. 

My sister is my confidante, voice of reason and one of the coolest and most fun people I know. 

How has being a Chartered Accountant changed your life?

Being a Chartered Accountant has given me access to so many different opportunities and learning how businesses work. 

I enjoy having access to different people within various organisations at varying levels of seniority and learning from them and about the work that they do. It broadens your view of many things. 

If you weren't a Chartered Accountant, what do you think you'd be doing?

I would still be in finance.  I really do enjoy finance and find it very interesting. 
However, when I was younger, I wanted to be a paediatrician because I found the work that doctors do to be very fascinating and life-changing. 

What advice do you have for those soon qualifying as Chartered Accountants? 

Master the skill of being teachable and embrace learning. Also, try to surround yourself with people who are different from you. It‘s incredible how much you learn from people who think differently from you.