My life in South Africa is very different from the one I left behind in Beijing, but I feel like I’m making a new home for myself in Johannesburg. I moved here in October 2018 and the vibrancy and diversity of the office and the city is enthralling.
I didn’t plan to have a career in financial services. I studied hotel management at higher vocational school and, after graduation, I was working in property management when an acquaintance suggested I apply for an opening at Standard Chartered. Working for a multinational company in Beijing back in 1999 was very appealing, so when I joined the bank to be part of a merchant acquisition team, it seemed a great opportunity. I progressed through the organisation with the support of my managers and increased my knowledge of corporate banking along the way.
