Andrew Conachey (BBA ’11, MSACCY ‘12)

TAX MANAGER, EY (THE NETHERLANDS)

AFTER COMPLETING THE BAUER BUSINESS HONORS PROGRAM AND EARNING TWO DEGREES FROM THE COLLEGE IN ACCOUNTING, ANDREW CONACHEY LEFT THE HOUSTON AREA TO TAKE A GLOBAL POSITION WITH EY.

Q: Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood like? Any travel or exposure to other cultures?

A: I grew up in Kingwood, TX (Houston suburb). My neighborhood and upbringing was not very multicultural, and the diversity of UH was one of the most appealing characteristics of the school. I knew I always wanted to work abroad for some time. I traveled outside the United States for the first time in 2016 on vacation to Italy. I worked for two months in India in 2017 and moved to the Netherlands in 2018 for a two-year assignment.

Q: Did you have any concerns prior to working abroad?

A: I was excited for the challenge and looking forward to the culture shock. I really wanted to push myself outside of my comfort zone and open my mind to new experiences and ways of thinking. I want my time abroad to shape me in a way that I wouldn’t get by staying in Houston.

Q: How did you prepare to relocate and take your international position?

A: I spent three months researching the position, talking to different people in the group, and learning about the type of work and group culture. I also traveled to the Netherlands twice before, one time in good weather and one time in bad weather, to see if I could manage the climate. I also researched and studied beforehand, as I moved to a different type of tax work (U.S. tax compliance and financial reporting to now OECD and Dutch transfer pricing). The technical aspects of learning new tax law and guidance from an international perspective are challenging, especially at a manager level, where I have more supervisory and business development activities. I also started learning Dutch six months beforehand.

Q: What memory stands out the most from the early days of relocating from the United States to your new home?

A: The bicycles — there are so many bicycles everywhere in the Netherlands…people riding bicycles everywhere and bicycles chained to any stationary objects. At first it was quite strange to see, but now it’s quite normal.

Q: What personal and professional lessons have you learned from working abroad?

A: I’m learning to approach all situations with an open mind. It is very multicultural here, and everyone brings new ways of thinking to the conversation. Open debate is not only encouraged it; it’s required to be part of the greater social discussion. I’ve also learned to slow down. The pace of life and work in America is much faster in the Netherlands, and the Dutch culture really encourages one to live in the moment.

Q: Describe your experience living and working abroad in one word.

A: Gezellig — it’s a Dutch word that roughly translates to cozy, but there is no direct English equivalent. It can describe a warm, cozy situation, such as dinner and drinks with friends and family, just enjoying the moment. But, it can also describe a somewhat uncomfortable situation, such as being crammed into an overflowing train, and choosing to find humor in the moment, make a joke and make some new friends.

Q: What advice would you give for someone preparing to visit or live abroad?

A: Learn the local language. The insights gained from the way people communicate will help to understand the cultural differences and help you learn how to think and act like a local. Talk to everyone, there is so much to learn from new people.

Q: How did your Bauer experience prepare you for your career?

A: The multicultural aspect of UH and Bauer planted the seed for my interest in working abroad. The Professional Program in Accountancy provided me the necessary education and networking experience to obtain an internship with EY, which ultimately led to full-time employment.

Chelsea Cross (BBA ’12)

RISK ENGINEER, SHELL

Previous Roles: Project Analyst, Opus International Consultants (Sydney, Australia)
& Commercial Coordinator, KBR Inc. (Darwin, Australia)

BAUER COLLEGE ALUMNA CHELSEA CROSS RECENTLY MOVED BACK TO HOUSTON AFTER WORKING IN AUSTRALIA IN DIFFERENT ROLES, INCLUDING A POSITION WORKING FOR THE HEAD CONTRACTOR ON THE INPEX ONSHORE LNG FACILITIES IN DARWIN.

Q: Where did you grow up, and what was your childhood like? Any travel or exposure to other cultures?

A: Tomball, TX. I think the furthest I traveled before going to UH was Florida. I really hadn’t been around people with diverse backgrounds until going to UH.

Q: Did you have any concerns prior to working abroad?

A: Absolutely! I moved there on my own to do my MBA after being let go during the oil & gas downturn. When I moved, I didn’t have the comfort of an employer assisting with my relocation. I didn’t have housing arranged when I landed, no idea how health care, banking or even driving would work! There’s a huge learning curve, and it can be really overwhelming.

Q: How did you prepare to relocate and take your international position?

A: It requires a lot of research to sort out visas, driver’s licenses, bank accounts...even just sorting out a rental property works differently than in the United States. I sold off a lot of my possessions here before the move and saved up like crazy to make sure I had enough to start-up life again in another country. Since my employer wasn’t assisting, there was a lot of planning required. I then had to learn how to prepare a résumé, find business contacts and interview in another country to secure my first position at a consulting company. From there, I relocated again within Australia for a new position, which was much easier with the assistance of professional movers!

Q: What memory stands out the most from the early days of relocating from the United States to your new home?

A: The two years in Australia are some of my most memorable of my life. I do remember being really nervous to drive on the left side of the road, so much so that I took a driving lesson before buying a car. I was so proud the day I registered my car and got an Australian license...but then, as I left the registration office, I walked to my car and sat down on the passenger seat! Some old habits were hard to break.

Q: What personal and professional lessons have you learned from working abroad?

A: A résumé is not universal. I had to completely reformat the résumé and learn how to emphasize the skills Australian employers are interested in. Be prepared to adjust to the local way of working. I really enjoyed that Australians are more likely to be friends with their coworkers, so it was great getting to enjoy some afternoon drinks with coworkers — something I didn’t see as often in the United States.

Q: Describe your experience living and working abroad in one word.

A: Enlightening. I had so many eye-opening experiences being a foreigner and left with a newfound appreciation of immigrants and their ability to move around the world and adapt. There were so many experiences which required me to get out of my comfort zone, and this was a move between two culturally similar countries. I can only imagine moving to a country with a significantly different culture and/or language!

Q: What advice would you give for someone preparing to visit or live abroad?

A: Don’t stress too much! For the most part, whatever comes up you’ll be able to tackle as it comes. I’m not sure there’d ever be a way to prepare for everything, so do what you can and stay flexible. Be sure to make time to experience all the local things while you can, especially when you’re feeling homesick.

Q: How did your Bauer experience prepare you for your career?

A: Bauer and UH exposed me to entirely new people and cultures. I first traveled while in college and from there I haven’t stopped. Diverse perspectives challenge my way of thinking. There’s a lot to learn from those around you.