Interview with Ayman Maherally, Accountant,
Clermont Trust Mauritius
Date: 28 May 2024
One word that best describes how you work: Differently
1. Ayman, please can you share a memorable experience you have faced while working in client accounting at Clermont Trust, and how it has shaped your approach to your role?
One of the best events I had the chance to experience was the 2022 staff conference in South Africa. I work with most of the group’s team members, which includes the Geneva and British Virgin Islands administrators and United Kingdom accountants.
Getting the chance to finally meet most of my colleagues, who I have been talking to via digital means, was an outstanding opportunity I will always remember.
Our jobs as accountants require us to rely on the other departments, especially the administration team, and I feel that meeting them face-to-face strengthened the interdepartmental synergy.
2. In your opinion, what are the key trends shaping your role and industry, and how is Clermont Trust adapting to these changes?
I would say that, over the past decade or so, the biggest driver has been advances in technology, ultimately improving efficiency. In this day and age, accountants are no longer required to draw up ledgers on paper and keep hard copies of them. The use of accounting software is now universal, becoming more of a necessity than a luxury. It allows us to quickly and effortlessly record and amend records, while also allowing for much detailed and faster strategic analysis.
Clermont is proactively improving its existing technological infrastructure. Some years back, they replaced their system for a much more modern and inclusive package. Nowadays, management is actively brainstorming about the use of Artificial Intelligence (AI) to minimise repetitive and time-consuming tasks.
Clermont also invests heavily in raising awareness of cybersecurity threats for its members of staff. We have regular, updated trainings aiming to minimise the risks of Clermont Trust staff becoming victims of cyber-crimes.
3. How do you think social media has changed the landscape for financial communication and client engagement in the accounting sector, particularly in Mauritius?
Social media has raised financial literacy to an unprecedented level. Even non-financial professionals now have some information on savings, investing and basic financing skills, previously exclusively attained by a few.
It is now also easier than ever, particularly in Mauritius, for small businesses to find accountants to help them with preparing their financials or preparing tax returns through platforms such as LinkedIn.
Social media also provides a platform for keeping clients informed about regulatory changes. Firms use LinkedIn to update clients on new tax laws, compliance requirements and other regulatory changes, thereby keeping us, accountants informed about what should change in our current approach regarding our work.
4. Could you describe a project or initiative at Clermont Trust that you’re particularly proud of?
While everyone at Clermont Trust works hard and plays harder, we also embrace giving back to the communities where we or our clients live and work. My first experience was the 2022 Cape Town trip, where we had the chance to spend time with children from the Amy Foundation, a non-profit organisation that empowers youngsters from challenged and vulnerable communities.
This experience inspired Clermont Trust to create Clermont Conscience, our social responsibility initiative focused on supporting the communities we work in. Subsequently, all the Clermont offices organised events on behalf of Clermont Conscience. For Mauritius, we actively visit and support the Centre d’Amitié, an institution providing education and support to kindergarten and pre-primary children in need.
I am particularly proud of the project as it is a reminder that, no matter the hardships, we are the fortunate ones, and some people did not get the opportunities we did. I am still humbled to this day, by how much of an effect a smile on these children’s faces, from the Centre d’Amitié, still has on me.
5. If you had to choose a completely different career path just for one year, what would it be and why?
My colleagues will painfully confirm this: I am a talker. Some of them even make bets amongst themselves on when I’ll stop talking. They are lucky the stakes were low!
That being said, I would say something which allows me to fully explore my extroverted nature. If I had to go for a completely different career path, I’d probably be doing something in sales, maybe in real estate. If I had to choose something remotely similar to my current job, it would probably be relationship management.
6. Outside of work, what are your passions or interests, and how do they influence your professional life and decision-making in the trust management field?
My routine, outside of work, involves my daily workout and reading a passionate book. Occasionally, I like to indulge into DIY work, like finding creative ways of recycling old junk, or restyling my study and gaming room!
I would affirm that all of my interests give me an edge in my professional life: Practising sports since my teenage years allowed me to become perspicacious, disciplined and confident, qualities which I always use as an accountant: Never give up when the task is hard and never stop until the task is done.
Reading provides me with unique values and perspectives that I routinely apply to my work. DIY allows me to think creatively and come up with new ways of dealing with current work. I enjoy coming up with a faster and more efficient way of getting existing tasks done.
