Financial services has long been considered to be male-dominated and thus perceived as notoriously difficult for women to infiltrate and succeed in. Certainly, women are still underrepresented in the sector, particularly at the executive level, which can be off-putting from the outset. However, thanks to industry-wide and company-specific efforts, the gender-gap is definitely narrowing, with success increasingly determined by merit over masculinity.

For three senior women working at HSBC, their gender has not defined their success in treasury and it is their stories that the generations of the future need to hear.

In her role as regional head of international countries of global liquidity and cash management in Asia, Yvonne Yiu looks after 11 markets, providing leadership support to help shape their strategic direction and business performance. Her succession to seniority has not been without its challenges.

“The work/life balance is a constant challenge, particularly as my job requires a lot of travel.



Being able to be fully committed to the job whilst simultaneously providing support to my family is always going to be difficult, but you learn to prioritise and make time for everything,” Yvonne explains.

It’s a sentiment Bonnie Chiu, regional head of sales for global banking corporates, agrees with. “Balancing family and work, especially with travel and evening conference calls, is difficult but so key.” In addition, she cites making her voice heard as one of the keys to success. “Being assertive enough to speak up in a second language and amongst an organisation where much of the senior management are non-Asian was initially intimidating, but is really essential.”

Indeed, shyness and a lack of confidence is often claimed to be one of the reasons women don’t get ahead – but is the best way to get noticed. Silence in a meeting can sometimes be misconstrued for apathy or laziness, neither of which are qualities we look for in our leaders.

For Jennifer Doh

📌 Are we seeing more women in treasury? (Anupgarh)
🏢 The Global Treasurer
📍 Anupgarh