Careers

Flying high

Meet the extraordinary Mark Wong, filmmaker, actor, Big 4 accountant – and our new PQ of the Year

How many accountants do you know who have starred in both a Hollywood blockbuster and in the legendary Grange Hill? Not many! But one who has is this year's PQ of the Year, Mark Wong. Now working for KPMG, he started out as an actor, and his TV credits also include Casualty and Jonathan Creek. He even starred opposite Lara Croft in Tomb Raider 2.
However, in 2006, he decided it was time for a change, and he made the switch to accountancy, which he describes as "a proper job". So it seems Mark got no further than the letter A while browsing the jobs handbook – for actor and accountant. He even joined the AAT. Tatiana Armstrong caught up with Mark after the PQ awards to find out how he felt about winning and what life is like for the actor-cum-accountant.

Congratulations on winning the prestigious title of PQ of the Year! How did you feel when Richard Blackwood called out your name?
I was absolutely thrilled – it was a long shortlist (is that a contradiction in terms?) and it was a great feeling collecting the award.
Did you enjoy the PQ awards?
We had a ball – it was a fabulous night and being held at Quaglino's injected a bit of glamour into the proceedings. Richard Blackwood played the crowd really well – I'm sure playing to a room full of accountants isn't an everyday occurrence for him, but he made us all laugh, and didn't take himself to seriously, which was nice. Winning the award topped it all off, of course!

You are certainly very busy, juggling work, study, filmmaking and family how do you cope?
The most important thing is the support I get from my wife for my work, my studying and my hobbies. Without that I wouldn't be able to achieve as much. Also, it's taken me a while, but I've gradually learnt to act fast and get things done. In my life there isn't much time to ponder, so if you want it done you have to do it now.

Why did you decide on a career in accountancy?
I was looking for a professional career that would provide stability and guaranteed prospects for me and my family. Having left college to pursue an acting career I didn't have a degree to fall back on, but I couldn't afford to go back to university. Accountancy ticked all the boxes.

What's your best advice for exam success for our PQs?
Plan your study time. It's surprising how quickly the exams come around.

We love your films. How did you get in to filmmaking – is it just a hobby?
I've been making these kinds of films since I was a teenager, so the Empire competition [to make a 60-second
re-make of a movie classic] was an opportunity to revisit an old hobby. It's something I really enjoy doing and it gives me a creative outlet – I'm not exactly a 24/7 accountant and with the pressures of studying, making films keeps me sane.

What do you see yourself doing in the next five years – where would you like to be?
My first priority is to get my ACA qualification. I'll be glad when the study is finally over. After that I hope to take my family back to New Zealand (where I was born) for a while. When we get there it'll be time to make some money, and maybe some more films!

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