Thought Leadership, Research & CPA Spotlights

My Path to CPA: From English Teacher to Finance Manager

Jeff Eng, CPA went through three different majors, two master’s degrees, a teaching stint overseas and two jobs before he discovered his love of accounting. And when he finally decided to pursue his CPA designation, he already had two young kids.

Jeff credits the mentorship and support of his managers and teammates for where he is today. Now, as a Finance Manager at Blackberry, Jeff supports the business with financial forecasts and guidance.

Jeff sitting on a rock in front of the ocean

Why did you decide to pursue a CPA designation?

Nearly ten years ago, I had no experience in finance and did not have any education in accounting or business. Then, suddenly, I was part of the finance team through a company re-organization.

I have a lot of experience trying different things. I studied computer science, actuarial science, then kinesiology in university, then went on to complete two master's degrees before teaching overseas for a couple of years in South Korea and then Mongolia. However, nothing could have prepared me for what was to come.

Those first six to twelve months in finance were rough, especially as my company was also going through some tough times. After a couple of years though, I began to enjoy my work and decided that this was finally it: I finally found my career and I enrolled to pursue my CPA.

What does your day-to-day look like?

I work in financial planning and analysis (FP&A), so at a high level, much of my days are spent supporting the business through building financial forecasts, analyzing past results and identifying variances and trends to support business decisions. What that looks like is working closely with my teammates to answer questions, gather data and provide guidance to our business partners.

Where did you start your career and how did you get to where you are today?

I started at BlackBerry as a Facilities Planning Coordinator as an entry-level job in a then-growing company. I worked hard and got promoted to a Business Analyst role before being shuffled into the Finance department.

I was lucky in that I had many fantastic managers and teammates, who took the time to mentor and support me. So, while I put in the time and effort into my own career, I would not be where I am today without having had the strong relationships that I built with my co-workers.

What was the most challenging part of getting your CPA designation?

I started studying for my CPA having no formal accounting education when my kids were four and two years old. It took me five years to complete as I had many prerequisites that I needed to complete before I could enrol in the professional program itself.

So, making the time to study while working full-time and raising a young family was extremely challenging. There were many times that I questioned whether I had made the correct decision, but looking back, I'm glad that I saw it through.

What are you most passionate about?

Technology for good. Our society is advancing and changing so quickly, but many people in our communities are being left behind. I love technology and am fascinated by the myriad technological changes that are constantly being developed in so many aspects of our lives, which can improve our lives drastically. The challenge is how can we bring everyone along and democratize access.