In overseeing technology in Asia for one of the world’s leading investment banks, Sophia Leung has responsibility for a function which is already large and increasingly important.

She runs systems and tech infrastructure in 15 countries, implementing key aspects of global strategy, and supervising a large chunk of the firm’s multibillion dollar annual investment in IT.

But the speed of change and, particularly, the development of new fintech and digital services have also made her a pathfinder for the industry and, over the past 20-odd years, a role model in pioneering a completely new type of career track.

“Technology is changing the way all businesses are run and, in that respect, financial services are no different,” says the managing director and Asia-Pacific chief information officer for JP Morgan. “Now, it is seen as critical for what we do and a competitive advantage, so this is a really great time to be in the field. Technology used to be in the back room, but it is now front and centre. It is about innovative solutions and takes all kinds of skills.”

Not surprisingly though, Leung’s early ambitions had nothing to do with IT, financial services or current challenges such as improving mobile interfaces and enhancing cyber security.

Her initial plan was to pursue a PhD in biochemistry, ideally followed by a job in academia or research. But a training programme with a US bank opened her eyes to other possibilities, especially the chance of being trained and paid at the same time, and her deep-rooted desire to keep learning was fulfilled by taking that alternative path.

Originally from Hung Hom, Leung’s family, which included four siblings, moved to New York when she was eight, drawn like so many others by the dream of a better life. From a base in the Chinatown district, her parents found work in the supermarket and laundromat business operated by an extended network of relatives, and she, with barely a word of English, was sent to the local public school.

Inevitably, it was a period of adjustment, when Leung was at times confused, if not scared. Looking back though, she feels indebted to her parents for being so brave and working so hard to create opportunities, and to the teachers who emphasised the need to speak fluent English, thereby opening the door to a good high school and university.

Steered towards maths and science, Leung found that the New York education system offered after-school programmes which gave experience working in labs attached to hospitals and universities. And, in due course, that paved the way to a place at Barnard College, part of Columbia University, to study biochemistry.

“I was always very serious and focused, the archetypal Chinese student, and thought it would be great to be a research scientist, with so many things to learn and explore,” she says. “But at college, I joined a ‘Women in Science’ tour to Japan and it stopped me dead in my tracks. All of a sudden, I saw the world is a very big place and wondered about being stuck in a lab for 10 hours a day.”

Inspired by Asia and keen to “stop and breathe” for a bit, she arranged a third-year transfer to the Chinese University of Hong Kong to study Putonghua and a selection of liberal arts subjects.

Still on track for graduate school, after completing her degree back in the US, she nevertheless took the advice of a counsellor and signed up for a corporate training programme to broaden her horizons.

“I saw it as a win-win situation, a way to learn and get paid for nine months – and I could always go back to my other career. I gravitated towards Wall Street, joined the IT programme at Morgan Stanley, and never looked back.”

Essentially, the work involved finding the best technology for trading and for connecting with clients. And the benefit of being in a non-tech company was being able to pick the most suitable products from anywhere or, in some cases, coming up with original solutions.

“In financial services, there is more scope to build what you want,” says Leung, who was subsequently promoted to roles in London and Hong Kong. “Technology is never static; there is always something happening, and that makes for an accelerated rate of learning. But you should also be humble about what you don’t know and understand the purpose of why you need to do something new.”

The move to JP Morgan around five years ago made sense as a chance to head a larger team, stay in Asia, and simply seek some fresh challenges after going from trainee to managing director during 19 years with her previous employer.

“As CIO, I find the job fascinating and feel excited coming to work every day,” she says. “You need to think two stages ahead, and our long-term strategies for IT investment need to be relevant for the next 10 years.”

With two sons who are basketball fanatics, these days Leung is something of an expert on the NBA play-offs and local school match-ups. As a member of the firm’s philanthropy committee for the region, she is also involved in initiatives to improve volunteerism and help communities.

“My personal goal is to make more of an impact in that area,” she says. “It is said that the pattern in life is to ‘learn, earn and return’, but I’ve opened my mind to doing all three at the same time. I now see my career as a journey where it is important to balance things which are strategic in nature.”

WORKING WORDS

Sophia Leung on inculcating opportunity in the workplace

Reach out to the young  “As a firm, we do a lot to attract and connect with millennials, including activities on campus. The challenge is to make sure they are informed and educated about what a career in technology can be.”

Learn on the job  “The best way to give young people experience is through internship programmes which give them a feel for the workplace and let them see what we do. That is not sitting and coding, but working in teams to solve real problems.”

Hear all voices  “Our culture is very open and direct. You don’t have to be a manager to speak up in a meeting or have a voice, and with technology it’s very easy to show if your ideas work.”

Cover all bases  “I ask my teams to walk the floor. In a big organisation, that’s the key to maintaining connectivity and nimbleness. The aim is to have technologists who understand IT and how we relate to the rest of the business.”

This article appeared in the Classified Post print edition as Technically speaking.