In honour of Asian Heritage Month, BenchSci hosted Showing Up, a discussion that delved into the experiences of four Asian panelists: Kepler’s CTO and co-founder Wen Cheng Chong, Wealthsimple Foundation’s CEO Leen Li, Backbase’s Regional VP of Customer Success Yuko Naka and me.

It was a wonderful conversation. You can find the summary on BenchSci’s blog or watch the whole panel on YouTube.

One thing I said that I would like to highlight: ‘You are the CEO of your own career.’

Culturally, many Asian parents have a strong influence on their children’s careers. Of course, it is great to listen to parents’ experiences and leverage their wisdom. However, your career decision is all yours. You are not your parents. Your interest is not the same as your parents’ interest. Most importantly, your career aspiration should not be a projection of your parents’ career aspiration. You are accountable for your career. Listen and learn, but chart your own path.

Because you are the CEO of your own career.