Alumni profile

Rod Houng-Lee
Senior Tax Partner - Head of Tax, PricewaterhouseCoopers

Qualifications:
Bachelor of Commerce, and Bachelor of Laws.
Member of the Institute of Chartered Accountants in Australia, the Hong Kong Society of Accountants, and admitted to practice as a Barrister in the Supreme Court of New South Wales.

Class of : 1980 and 1981

What did you want to be when you grew up?
I was born and spent the first 15 years of my life in the Fiji Islands, where my life essentially revolved around playing sport, boats, fishing, sunny days and having fun! It was a fantastic childhood and I pretty much hoped to do more of the same when I grew up. My parents, however, had very different ideas and packed me off to Australia to finish high school and on to university (UNSW of course).

First full time job?
I started as an audit trainee with PricewaterhouseCoopers, but decided that auditing was not for me. Fortunately for me, even in the late 70s PricewaterhouseCoopers was of such a size that there were a large number of career opportunities other than auditing within the firm. I moved on to specialize in corporate and international taxation.

Current job description?
Managing the PricewaterhouseCoopers Tax Department in Hong Kong. This Department has over 30 partners and more than 420 staff, offering a broad range of services ranging from Hong Kong, Mainland China and US corporate and individual tax compliance, to domestic, Mainland China, US, and international tax consulting on transfer pricing, business transformations (including e-business), international tax structuring, mergers & acquisitions, capital markets, and structured finance and leasing.

Your strengths?
Global professional services is a fiercely competitive business, and one in which very large organisations compete. In this environment, size is essential but does not in itself give a competitive advantage. An ability to build teams and work the pyramid in large organisations like PricewaterhouseCoopers is important. It is the ability to more than simply manage our size - to use our size - that determines whether we win or lose.

Your weaknesses?
I know it is necessary, but still get very frustrated and impatient with the "5 steps forward 4 steps back" process in making change happen.

I also have a severely impaired sense of direction, and so only ever really drive on Hong Kong Island. If you get lost on the island, just keep going straight ahead.

Best part of the job?
Appreciative clients when a project goes well and we have added value.

Strangest thing you had to do?
My very first assignment as a fresh graduate with the firm was for a company that was shipping sheep (both live and carcasses) to Iran just before and during the fall of the Shah. It was a very good business that got caught up in the crossfire of enormous political changes and eventually collapsed.

Mentor or greatest inspiration?
My family. My great great grandfather moved from Southern China to the gold fields of Victoria, and subsequently to Fiji. Each generation saw education as vital. I wouldn't be where I am today, without the sacrifices made by my family before me.

Career ethic?
Success is easy and it is not a job, if you enjoy what you do.

Where will you be in 10- 15 years?
Still engaged and involved with business, but definitely spending more time on the other things outside work that I enjoy.

Job you most covet?
Tiger Wood's job! The job of a golf touring professional, but my family would without a doubt starve!