Accounting is rarely described as caring work. But for Grace Yeung, it’s one of the most powerful ways to make a difference.  

As a finance business partner in the healthcare sector, she uses numbers to protect services, strengthen communities, and ensure public funds reach the people who rely on them. 

“It’s meaningful because it touches everyone’s lives,” Grace said. “We’re not here to make profits. We’re here to use funding wisely to deliver the best possible outcomes for people.” 

Grace works at WA Primary Health Alliance (WAPHA), supporting the systems that underpin primary healthcare across metropolitan and regional Western Australia. 

It’s a career that was shaped by her time at Murdoch University, where she first learned that accounting could be used for good. But it also has a deeply personal backstory.  

Grace moved to Australia from Hong Kong 15 years ago, navigating the challenges of migration, isolation and ill health along the way. She faced postnatal depression and physical injury, without the help of family nearby.   

What sustained her during that time was the public healthcare system – therapists, counsellors, community clinics, and 24‑hour health phone support. 

Australia gave me support when I needed it the most. That’s why I feel strongly about giving back to that community that helped me.

Accounting wasn’t the obvious pathway for a purpose‑driven career. Grace first encountered the discipline in high school and initially questioned its values.  

“It felt like everything was about money,” she recalled.  

At one stage, she even gave up on the idea entirely. It was studying a Master of Professional Accounting at Murdoch that shifted her perspective.  

Murdoch’s diversity, welcoming campus and strong sense of community drew her to the university as an international student.  

“We had friends from all over the world,” Grace said. “I felt comfortable. I felt welcome.” 

Support went beyond academics. Grace found peer connection, counselling services and staff who took the time to listen.  

Bush Court, with its natural surroundings and informal gatherings between classes, became a place where conversations and connections grew naturally.  

“That’s where we would spend a lot of our time and it was wonderful.” 

Programs like the CPA Australia Student Ambassador initiative helped her clarify her goals, while lecturers – many of whom were practising accountants – shared real industry experience that revealed what accounting was like beyond the classroom. 

That’s when I realised accounting isn’t just numbers, it can change lives.

After graduating, Grace worked across manufacturing, accounting firms and commercial roles, yet felt something deeper was missing.  

Over time, she made a deliberate shift toward health and community services – working in an exercise physiology clinic, child assessment and therapy services, NDIS and eventually primary healthcare. 

Her current role as a finance business partner allows her to sit at the intersection of strategy, systems and people. She translates financial information into decisions that non‑accountants can understand and often finds herself balancing competing needs within tight resource constraints. 

“People often come with many expectations,” she said. “So, I try to put myself in their position first, recognise their needs and feelings, before explaining what’s possible.  

“Once people feel understood, they become more open to seeing the bigger picture.” 

What helps keep that bigger picture clear is the direct connection to impact. Staff at WAPHA stay informed through intranet updates and regular All Staff Day features community speakers sharing their real stories. Through these channels, they gain valuable insight into the real impact the services Grace helps support are changing lives. 

“It lifts your vision above the computer,” she said. “It reminds you why you do this work.” 

Care also shows up in Grace’s life beyond her job. She volunteers with her local council’s zero‑waste Repair Lab, helping repair textiles and household items so they can be reused rather than discarded. For Grace, it’s about protecting the environment – and modelling a different way of living for her eight‑year‑old daughter. 

“We can buy things cheaply and throw them away easily,” she said. “But we need to understand the consequences.” 

The Repair Lab has also helped Grace build connections. Naturally introverted, she sees volunteering as a way to step outside herself, meet others, and better understand the community she now calls home.  

“Sometimes I think I’m helping someone,” she said. “But actually, they’re helping me.” 

That belief – that one life can affect another – runs through everything Grace does and shapes her advice to others setting out on their career journey. 

“It’s okay to feel lost,” Grace said. “But when you understand your core values, you’ll realise many people are willing to support you and that you are not alone.” 

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