All change
In 2005, Grace shifted the focus of her career. She was seconded as a trainer to EY’s learning and development team and spent several years working as a professional trainer, course content developer and programme designer. In 2010, she was appointed as learning leader for EY Greater China’s assurance service line. She began her current role, responsible for all five of the firm’s service lines (assurance - including financial audit; advisory; tax; transaction and advisory services; and core business services) in 2012. Today Grace manages a team of 50, whose remit covers over 11,000 EY staff in the Greater China region.
Her role is to put into practice EY’s passion for helping its people reach their goals and achieve their potential. She develops and delivers training through EYU, an in-house career development framework that EY has created to make sure that its staff progress and thrive. The framework consists of three core elements, the so-called ’pillars of EYU’: learning; experience; and coaching. Performance goals, aligned with team objectives, are agreed for each person and regular feedback is given throughout the year to help keep them on track. As a CGMA, Grace herself has benefitted from a similarly holistic approach to learning.
“At EY, we are proud of the mutual commitment we have with our people to achieve their potential,” says Grace.
“Being a CGMA, I have experienced first-hand how
important it is to have both practical and theoretical skills.
At EY, we offer a range of teaching experiences. Classroom-based courses cover specific areas of expertise and knowledge. At the same time, we manage our staff’s experiences so they can learn through their work, rather than doing the same
tasks day-in and day-out. These experiences vary, leading
staff in different directions as they pursue their career
goals, and may account for up to 70 per cent of someone’s personal development. We also offer coaching to enrich our people’s careers and deliver the best results for clients.
This can take the form of on-the-job mentoring or regular career conversations with a counsellor.”