Our People, Their Stories - Audit series: Wen Yee

The journey so far

When I made the move from Malaysia to Melbourne four years ago, I wasn’t just changing location, I was stepping into a completely new chapter of personal and professional growth. I’ve always wanted to experience a different culture and working environment outside my home country. However, like many, my plans were put on hold when COVID hit and Australia’s borders closed for two years. When the opportunity to join HLB came in 2022, right as the borders reopened, it felt like everything had aligned at the right time.

Finding my place at HLB

Before even joining, something about HLB stood out to me. One line on the website really resonated – “Together we make it happen”. That perfectly captured what I believe in. To me, success is never an individual effort, it’s about working collaboratively, supporting one another, and achieving outcomes as a team. That sense of shared purpose made me confident that HLB was the right place for me to continue growing both professionally and personally.

Learning and growing

Coming from an audit background, I found that my prior experience gave me a strong technical foundation. At the same time, I quickly noticed differences in the working environment.

At HLB, everything is open and transparent. The firm promotes validation and honesty in the way we work, which makes a big difference. What stood out most to me was how approachable everyone is.

Even when managers are busy, I’ve been able to approach partners directly. Everyone is very supportive and willing to help. Like any career, there have been ups and downs, but the culture at HLB makes those challenges easier to navigate.

Expectations are clear, communication is open, and the transparency really helps you build confidence over time.

Opportunities that make a difference

Throughout my career at HLB, I’ve had the opportunity to work with a broad range of clients across multiple industries, including not-for-profit and public sector entities. This variety has played a key role in my development, allowing me to continuously build both technical capability and commercial awareness.

One of the things I value most about HLB is its genuine investment in people. The firm provides opportunities for professional development through continuous training, mentorship programmes, experiences such as board and committee meetings, and attending conferences.

What makes this even more meaningful is that development is not one-size-fits-all. The training is always focused on helping each of us grow in our own way, which is incredibly valuable.

Over time, this support has helped me build confidence in managing workloads, timelines, and people, skills that are critical as you progress in your career.

The future

The journey so far has been incredibly rewarding. For me, my career at HLB has been about more than just progression. It’s about becoming more confident, capable, and ready for what’s next.

My experience reflects what HLB stands for: collaboration, transparency, and a strong commitment to developing its people.