Think outside the box for your professional development

Hasantha Rupasinghe's CPA (Aust.) successful career has given him some interesting perspectives on accountancy, finance and business.

The highly credentialled 40-year-old has worked across various industries, applying his insights and expertise to multinational fast-food chains, leisure and tourism, manufacturing, and transport and logistics sectors.

Throughout his 17-year career, he has strived to improve his knowledge, understanding and professional standing while serving leading conglomerates in Sri Lanka, including Softlogic, Hayleys Advantis, Raigam, Finco Group, Uga Escapes, Nation Lanka Finance and Ackzorne.

Avoiding complacency, he has undertaken further education, including his CPA Australia designation.

"I strongly believe in the value of continuing professional development (CPD) beyond my core profession. I have gone beyond the MBA (UK) to extend my learning, including CPA Australia, to make my profile stand out."

He also holds memberships with the Institute of Chartered Accountants of Sri Lanka (CA Sri Lanka), the Institute of Certified Management Accountants of Sri Lanka (CMA Sri Lanka), and many other institutions which make him outstanding in general management and marketing.

Evolving and learning

As the Financial Controller of Platform One, Mr Rupasinghe overlooks the firm's Sri Lankan and European business operations. Platform One is an innovative platform software developer that provides stakeholder experience management and an insight community platform to a global clientele.

With an astute understanding of corporate finance fundamentals, he operates in a fast-paced business environment focused on innovation. Undertaking the CPA Australia designation helped him develop a suite of skills perfect for the role.

"I wanted to find an edge in my profession, which is why I selected the CPA Program."

With exemptions made for his CA Sri Lanka qualifications, he completed the CPA Program. He credits the course of study with expanding his knowledge of corporate governance and ethics. The transnational aspects of the CPA Program curriculum especially stood out to him.

"The technical pathway towards the CPA was mainly focused on extending the knowledge of ethics and governance. Along with the UK and Australian practices, it covered other leading country regulations of the Asia-Pacific region," he says.

"I've worked regularly with various multinationals. CPA Australia has empowered me to stand strong among the crowd while holding a highly regarded qualification in the Asia-Pacific region."

He was also impressed by the CPA Program's focus on the relationship between technology, finance and business. He says technologies like Artificial Intelligence (AI) and Machine Learning are changing accountancy.

"I firmly believe the future of finance is about more than number crunching. The next generation of finance professionals should think out of the box to find the cutting edge for their businesses in a highly competitive environment. CPA Australia has accommodated those emerging themes in their program to empower its members for the future world."

Adding value to your career

The CPA Australia designation enables him to stand out from the crowd, especially in the eyes of recruiters.

"A couple of foreign conglomerates approached me through my LinkedIn profile, and I believe the CPA designation added more value to my profile to create that attraction."

"Holding the CPA letters behind your name represents more than 135 years of professional heritage together with 168,000 plus members covering more than 100 countries and regions."

He says global portability and quality professional development are crucial for accountants and finance professionals. "Financial professionals should have diversified knowledge and broad exposure to formulate future strategies for businesses."

To discover how becoming a CPA can advance your career, you can attend the upcoming online information sessions.

CPA Australia collaborates with local professional bodies for streamlined qualification and membership pathways. Many qualified professionals, like Mr Rupasinghe, have benefited from these collaborations with career advancements locally and internationally.

CPA Australia has a Mutual Recognition Agreement (MRA) with CA Sri Lanka, with clearly defined steps enabling suitably qualified individuals to become an Associate of CPA Australia.

The collaboration between CPA Australia and CMA Sri Lanka consists of a Member Pathway Agreement (MPA) that smooths the way for Associate CPA membership.

CPA Australia positions its post-graduate CPA designation and ongoing professional development as a foundation for business leaders and those who aspire to lead. Their goal is to secure the talent bank of future business leaders – helping people build a career based on exceptional professional finance skills.