People

Christiana from our Philippines office comes from two generations of rice farmers. Raised in La Paz, in the Tarlac region of the Philippines it wasn’t until she was in high school that she was considering her options for what studies to pursue that she’d started to look beyond the rural and agricultural world that she knew and grew up in to consider what other vocations existed in other industries and worlds. She hadn’t even heard of accounting until a classmate suggested it being a good stepping stone to get into business and commerce.

As the first of her family to have graduated from a bachelor’s degree, the road from high school to becoming a graduate did not come easily. With limited means when first discussing university with her parents, their first concerns were of how they couldn’t afford the tuition of higher education for Christiana.

With a pinch of courage, initiative and determination, Christiana researched Scholarship opportunities and found a way to support her studies independently. Whilst she studied, her younger sister took a couple of years off study to find work and support Christiana’s studies and in turn when Christiana finished her degree and started working she reciprocated and supported her sister in providing an allowance for her sister to study Criminology. Christiana has a go-getter attitude with great determination and perseverance to see her personal projects through.

Positively chatty, Christiana has experienced accounting across industry, government and more recently in public practice with Martin & Martin. She is deeply focused on her work and on a constant journey of learning and improvement. After travelling so much for her previous role in Government, it’s nice to find such diverse and rewarding work closer to home with Martin & Martin.

Qualifications

Bachelor of Science (Accountancy)

Area of expertise

Accounting and Bookkeeping

Likes

Road trips, mountain, ocean waves, cake

Dislikes

Alarm clocks, heat, laundry, ketchup

Favourite Quote

“The only impossible journey is the one you never begin”
— Tony Robbins

Summer or Winter?

One of my dreams is to experience winter

Studied accounting because…

I want to know more about businesses

My comfort food

Jollibee’s Fried Chicken

Best advice I have been given

Take things one step at a time