Alum of the Month

Sindy Leung

July 2018

London Program

March 2012 Intake

Current Role: Associate Director, Community Affairs Manager Greater China UBS AG

What and where did you study before your Mountbatten internship?
I studied and worked in Hong Kong before the Mountbatten Program.

What made you apply for the Mountbatten program?
My first job was a FX dealer with a local bank. I was sitting alongside colleagues who had already been working in the same position for 20 years. I kind of foresaw my life in 20 years’ time, but this was not what I was looking for! I wanted to see the world and work in an international corporate environment.

Describe your sponsor company and your role within it.
I interned as Tax operations analyst in UBS AG, London.

What was the highlight/most memorable moment of your working experience during this year?
I loved my team! They were very friendly, humorous, and helpful. They had been dealing with interns from Mountbatten for many years, and helped me to enrich my experience with the role and the firm. We went out for dodge ball, bowling, drinks, etc. I was awarded the Outstanding Workplace Achievement at the end of the internship.

What was the social highlight/most memorable moment during this year?
I am a fan of London! That year I had a chance to work in a real melting pot of people from all parts of the world, and made friends with them - even Hong Kong is nowhere near that standard of diversity. Immersing myself in a hybrid culture and language, an ability much sought after by employers worldwide, has definitely brought my mindset to a global context.

Please share a little wisdom/philosophy that you acquired during your internship
Try to speak to as many people as possible, get to know them and what they are doing – you won’t know who will offer you a position/help you to get a job. I participated in at least 1 company-organized event every week, I went to quite a number of career fairs, toastmasters meetings etc. No matter whether this was a client event or an internal event, I met so many interesting people who I still keep in touch with. I even got a job offer in London out of these conversations!

If you could change anything about your internship, what would it be?
I liked the internship and the people I encountered through this – but I would like to have done it earlier. I feel like my career only started after I was back from London, so I would rather I had started it earlier.

What happened after completing the year - what did you do next?
I was responsible for collecting tax forms from teams around the world, and got a chance to work with the Hong Kong team. I asked for an offer from the Hong Kong team I worked with, and to my surprise, I heard from them 6 months later! I joined the Global Financing Services team as Transition Manager for APAC under Equities.

Where are you now in your working life and what do you do?
I moved from Transition to Community Affairs last year, and am currently managing employee volunteering in Greater China, as an Associate Director. I am enjoying what I am doing.

What achievement have you been most proud of so far?
The year in London didn’t only help me with career acceleration, but also helped build my confidence in the workplace and other aspects of life. It was an eye-opener working with and learning from high-caliber banking and finance professionals. Even though I had been in London for a year of exchange at Cass Business School before, working was entirely different. It has been one of the major boosts to my resume.

Do you have any future plans that you would like to realise & what are they (career & social)?
Since 2010, I have been actively involved in youth engagement, and I am an honorary president of DragoNation, alumni association of the Dragon Foundation which connects ethnic Chinese from all over the world. I am also a member of the Standing Committee of Hong Kong University of Science and Technology Convocation, a member of the HKFYG youth service advisory committee, Youth Think Tank (Education and Employment), etc. With great passion to serve, I’m glad to be able to contribute my humble thoughts.

Is there any other information that you would like to be included?
"Be the change you want to see" is a motto that inspires me. When I can see how I can make a difference, I find it hard to sit back. Refugees in Hong Kong are not allowed to work or go to school and they are given HKD 2000 (USD250) per month to live on. So a friend and I set up a weekend school for these refugees and other under-privileged ethnic minorities. We teach them everything, from languages to tennis. The point of it all is not only to empower and engage the students, but also to let them enjoy new experiences. We provide them with opportunities that everyone should be entitled to, which is a step to helping them escape inter-generational poverty.

sindy.leung103@gmail.com