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not just within the office, but also outside
when I meet people. My clients comprise
internal or business units within Firefly,
vendors, business partners and also the
airline passengers of Firefly. I love to
interact directly with all customers to
share or promote Firefly’s products and
to obtain their views or comment about
Firefly. Only then will I knowwhat needs
to be improved. “
Growth
“Firefly is a vibrant airline with a flat
organisational structure. At the rate we’re
going and based on the commitments
from all business aspects, Firefly will
definitely fly higher and we are here
to stay and serve our passengers. The
financial year has been very positive so
far. Based on our records, we’re carrying
more passengers fromwhat we expected;
definitely much more as compared to
previous years. My hope is for us to be
able to stay stronger, fly higher and be
the only airline of choice for turbo prop
operation in Malaysia.
Not only has the company grown, but I
have grown in the job as well. Fundamen-
tal skills in finance are paramount and
these skills are imperative. However, the
role of CFO has evolved significantly as
compared to traditionally being viewed as
a financial gatekeeper.
The role has now
expanded to being a
strategic partner and to
work closely with the
CEO. This is where I’ve
grown significantly,
from being detail ori-
ented to a big picture
thinker, outspoken
rather than reserved.”
Family
“It can be said that I
have two families – the
one at home, and the
one at work. In Firefly,
we have a very flat or-
ganisational structure
and the management
implements an open
door concept. Hence, any staff from any
rank has access to the senior management
team. For example, our CEO knows
almost all his staff by name and the same
goes to other senior management teams.
That’s what I like about being part of
a vibrant airline such as Firefly, where
there’s no bureaucracy in terms of deci-
sion making. The full support, openness
to feedback and commitment from our
CEO is imperative, and it helps make the
job more interesting.”
After Work
“If I had not chosen to go into this career,
I would most probably be staying home
to be a full-time housewife for the sake
of my four growing kids, as family is very
important to me. I may get to travel a lot
due to the nature of my job, but the truth
is, I don’t really like travelling as I won’t
get to see my family for more than 24
hours. I enjoy travelling with my family
instead, and I’ve had the opportunity to
visit many beautiful places such as Delhi,
London, Tehran, and my favourite, the
French Riviera. The most important part
about work for me is balance. After all,
family always comes first!”
FireFlyz | 71
Skills
“My job involves having to deal with a lot
of numbers, so it is important to at least
hold a Bachelor’s Degree in Accountancy
and be a member of a professional ac-
counting body. I am also required to have
relevant prior experience in financial
management, and the ability to apply the
principles of corporate finance, econom-
ics, risk management and accounting.
Besides that, as a
leader, I must be able
to create, communicate
and implement a vision
for a finance function,
es tabl i sh an open
culture that’s built on
effective coaching and
a ‘no blame’ approach,
on top of the ability
to promote effective
communication within
departments. As the
financial health of
the company is in my
hands, it is also neces-
sary for me to promote
high standards of ethi-
cal behaviour, integrity
and honesty. But above
all this, I have to be
committed and passionate about my job.
Support fromour CEO is also an important
factor.
Experience
“I’ve been in the airline industry for over
15 years, and I joined Firefly in October
2012. I was in the automotive industry
for over two years before coming into
the airline industry, and I haven’t looked
back since. I gain experience on the job,