Behind Beulah with Ai Ling

Behind Beulah with Ai Ling
Meet our Senior Finance Manager

With over a decade of experience in the accounting and finance space, Ai Ling is an integral part of the finance team, and one of the senior leaders within our Beulah sphere. Her passion for details and numbers enables her to guide the organisation financially, seamlessly liaising with our internal teams as well as external stakeholders to ensure the organisation delivers on its commitments.

Ai Ling’s bubbly and likable personality, coupled with her invaluable knowledge gained from years of experience with some of the largest international private developers, has proven instrumental in the ongoing success and growth of Beulah.

As a qualified chartered accountant, Ai Ling holds a Commerce Degree from The University of Melbourne. She considers herself a true global citizen – with an undying passion for traveling the world and exploring new cultures.

Take us through a day in your life at Beulah…

My role at Beulah never lacks colour and is ever changing (keeps it interesting!) My role involves every Beulah project through each life cycle – from acquisition stage, live and active projects, to completed projects, it is certainly exciting as each stage comes with different sets of challenges and opportunities.

A day in my life at Beulah could involve negotiating with financiers on favourable terms for Beulah, strategising and planning the finance functions, meetings with various shareholders, reviewing group budgets and cash flow, speaking with lawyers to draw up new contracts, planning our next finance team social (movie nights or trying out a new restaurant!), and having group brainstorming sessions on new or existing projects.

Can you share some key highlights that make your day stand out?

At Beulah we have a great team culture – some of the key highlights for me are the daily chats that we have, encouraging and motivating each other to keep going, celebrating each win with our teams, and having a great laugh about it! Other highlights would be when the team decides to have spontaneous fun sessions like karaoke in the office, competitive games or some KFC wicked wings together! It is just nice to take a break and have a good time together with the team – these are the moments that inspire you and encourage our team.

What drives/motivates your role at Beulah?

I would say it is understanding my role and purpose – and how it can contribute to the business. Being solution-focused helps drive me to find new ways of doing things, and to challenge the status quo. The key is to not put myself or my role in a box, and to never limit myself – we can always grow if we allow room. That’s always been my mindset at Beulah.

Being solution-focused helps drive me to find new ways of doing things, and to challenge the status quo.

We love your out-of-the-box thinking, innovative and creative ideas! What inspires you?

The founders of Beulah consistently encourage the team to think differently and welcome ideas – this culture helps to cultivate these ideas! What has constantly inspired me the last 9 years at Beulah is to see, touch and feel each completed Beulah project. Each project was seeded with just an idea, and to be able to play a part, or a role in creating these incredible spaces that are loved by so many inspires me each and every day!

How do you stay inspired?

Beulah’s vision is to create transformational spaces and experiences for present, and future generations. As the first Beulah employee it’s safe to say that I’m mentally and emotionally connected to this role and business. By aligning my professional goals with those of the business, has allowed me to understand the core motivation behind what we do each day. The Beulah founders are true visionaries – getting behind them in realising our goals and vision helps me to stay inspired and to keep fighting each day!

What are your top 3 tips you can share that you’ve learnt from being A senior finance manager at Beulah?

Be solution focused: There will always be challenges, however that means there are also opportunities – we just need to find it. Surround yourself with those that are wise and can give you ideas on how to find the solutions to each challenge.
Be wise with daily decisions: The daily decisions include taking clear steps to ensure I have a clear mind to think and strategise – that involves ensuring sufficient rest, quality time with family and friends, eating well and exercise. Facing the daily grind could be tough, but making wise daily decisions helps keep me going for the long run!
Create something to look forward to each day: make an effort to have quality time with the spouse and family, to travel, adventure and see the world! Create great memories to fill up that tank, as we would need the tank to be full so that we would be able to run when the business calls for it.