Scott Cairns traded spreadsheets for helicopters and high-risk assignments in Afghanistan. The lessons he learned laid the foundation for an international consultancy helping businesses grow and thrive across the Middle East.
When Scott Cairns finished his accounting degree at Monash Business School, he expected to be wearing a pocket protector, not a bulletproof vest.
Ten years later, as a senior consultant for Deloitte in Afghanistan, he was flying in helicopters, coordinating with US military colonels and government officials, and navigating the Tora Bora mountains accompanied by an eight-person security detail.
“I’d be loaded into an armoured Land Cruiser to attend meetings – I must have looked like the president, but I was a skinny accountant in a bulletproof vest and helmet,” Mr Cairns said.
He acknowledges it was “probably more dangerous than I realised at the time”.
“But it was an unforgettable experience,” he said.
“I met incredible people, and coming from a sheltered background growing up in the country, it really opened my eyes to a world that’s far more complex and multi-faceted than I could have imagined.”
Mr Cairns was the recipient of the Professional Achievement Award at Monash Business School’s 2025 Dean’s Alumni Awards.
