CABF talk equips students with five key insights for wealth and growth

The Centre for Accounting, Banking and Finance (CABF) under the Teh Hong Piow Faculty of Business and Finance (THP FBF) organised a talk titled The New Era Blueprint for Wealth and Growth: Five Key Insights for University Students on 9 September 2025 at its Kampar Campus.

The talk featured Mr Gary Chua, Founder of D’Sphere Fund Management. A UTAR alumnus, Mr Gary Chua is an entrepreneur in fund management and the co-founder of the Unity Crypto community, which has over 5,000 members, and the Unity Fund Challenge, a hub with more than 700 proprietary traders. He has mentored over 2,000 young graduates in the cryptocurrency domain, sharing expertise in data and technical analysis. The session aimed to equip university students with essential financial knowledge and competencies to plan their finances effectively and achieve financial security. It particularly highlighted five key insights from an entrepreneur’s perspective on fostering healthy wealth growth.

Mr Gary Chua began by discussing the real value of financial resources. He encouraged participants to view money not only as a survival tool but also as a means to attain a quality lifestyle. One practical approach he shared was categorising fund allocations into fixed expenses for survival, variable expenses for experiences, reserves for defence, and investments for opportunities. This structured strategy provided participants with a clearer understanding of how to manage their finances effectively.

Beyond financial knowledge, the talk emphasised the importance of soft skills in building personal and professional resilience. Mr Gary Chua stressed, “Your lifestyle equals to your decision,” explaining that individuals are responsible for shaping their mindset regarding financial and life outcomes. He outlined key competencies and soft skills essential for cultivating a positive mindset, including:

Communication skills: listening, understanding, and expressing effectively
Resourcefulness: seeking knowledge and solutions efficiently
Proactivity: taking initiative, leading, and responding
Time management: prioritising and simplifying tasks
Resilience: practising discipline and continuous improvement
Adaptability: being versatile and observant

Another key insight was the importance of cultivating multiple income streams to overcome personal wealth ceilings. Participants were encouraged to explore diverse income opportunities early in their careers to achieve long-term financial stability and independence.

The talk concluded with a motivating call to action, ‘how can you start now?’. Students were urged to leverage available resources and design a profit model aligned with their lifestyle goals, emphasising small investments in both financial and personal development.

Overall, the session successfully empowered participants with practical insights on financial literacy, wealth creation, and personal growth, combining knowledge and motivation to prepare them for future challenges. The session ended with an interactive Q&A segment.