Out of the top 100 women in fintech selected by BizClik Media Group last month, Fintech News has shortlisted the top listed 15 female leaders who are driving changes in Asia’s banking, financial services and insurance industry.
These women have earned their place and the respect of their peers through hard work, talent and determination. They represent some of Asia Pacific (APAC)’s most successful startups, innovative banks and biggest fintech communities, and are recognized today for having made notable contributions to the sector.
Dr. Ayesha Khanna
Co-Founder and CEO, Addo AI
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Dr. Ayesha Khanna is the co-founder and CEO of Addo AI, an artificial intelligence (AI) solutions firm and incubator. She has been a strategic advisor on AI, smart cities and fintech to leading corporations and governments.
Dr. Khanna currently serves on the board of Singapore’s Infocomm Media Development Authority (IMDA), and is a member of the World Economic Forum (WEF)’s Global Future Councils, a community of international experts who provide thought leadership on the impact and governance of emerging technologies like AI.
Prior to founding Addo AI, she spent more than a decade on Wall Street developing large scale trading, risk management and data analytics systems. She has been featured in documentaries and named one of Singapore’s leading women in tech.
Daphne Ng
Co-Founder and CEO, Dedoco
Daphne Ng is the CEO and co-founder of Dedoco, a digital signing and document solution with enhanced privacy and security, for sharing and signing of banking transactions and documents. The company, launched in March 2020, uses technologies such as distributed ledger technology (DLT) and has partnered with the Government Technology Agency of Singapore. It serves clients in government, financial services, real estate, legal and professional services.
In addition to her role at Dedoco, Ng is a regular speaker and advisor on the applications of blockchain in the areas of data, finance and supply chains. She sits on the board of SGTech and is a guest lecturer at the International Trading Institute at the Singapore Management University.
Prior to Dedoco, Ng spent almost a decade with DBS, HSBC and Mizuho, where she specialized in corporate banking.
Fernn Lim
Chief of Staff, Nexus (Standard Chartered)
Fernn Lim is the chief of staff at Nexus, a banking-as-a-service (BaaS) solution by SC Ventures, powered by Standard Chartered. In her role, Lim oversees marketing, human resources/people and culture strategies, team principal duties and deputizes the venture CEO in his day-to-day strategic requirements.
Prior to Standard Chartered Bank, Lim was the head of culture and fintech acceleration of The Open Vault at OCBC. She was the founding member of the team, led OCBC’s corporate accelerator and was in charge of OCBC’s fintech ecosystem engagement plans. Fernn also helped to expand the team to set up The Open Vault at OCBC in Malaysia and spearheaded the team to win Asian Banker’s Best Innovation Centre 2018.
Helene Li
General Manager, Fintech Association of Hong Kong
Helen Li is the general manager of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong, and the co-founder of GoImpact Capital Partners, a platform developed to accelerate the mainstreaming of Sustainable Investments that has forged partnerships with the likes of Temasek Foundation, the United Nations Development Programme (UNDP), the Financial Times and Bloomberg.
Prior to joining Fintech Association of Hong Kong, Li held leadership positions at BNP Paribas Wealth Management, JP Morgan Private Bank and Swiss wealth management firm Lombard Odier.
She is a sought-after speaker and moderator at fintech and sustainable finance forums.
Jenna Huey Ching
Co-Founder and CEO, FortNynja
Jenna Huey Ching is the co-founder and CEO of FortNynja, a cybersecurity company in Asia Pacific (APAC). She’s a co-author of the Regulatory Technology Handbook, and is a Regtech chair for the Fintech Association of Malaysia where she leads the charge by helping build the local regtech ecosystem.
Ching has been credited with building Malaysia’s fintech and innovation community, collaborating with regulators, financial institutions and startups, as well as bringing two of Hong Kong’s most prominent fintech organizations to Malaysia, namely SuperCharger and Finnovasia.
Kahina Van Dyke
Global Head, Digital Channels and Data Analytics, Corporate, Commercial and Institutional Banking, Standard Chartered
Kahina Van Dyke is one of the leading women in fintech, having spent more than 20 years of experience in banking and technology. She is currently the global head of digital channels and data analytics for Standard Chartered’s commercial and institutional banking division. She is responsible for spearheading the bank’s vision to become the leading digital banking platform powering global trade, commerce and financial services.
Her past roles include senior management at Facebook, MasterCard and Citibank. The most recent role was senior vice president of business and corporate development at blockchain company Ripple, where she focused on driving new strategic partnerships across the global financial services industry.
Katie Bomi Son
Global CEO, Qara
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Katie Bomi Son is the CEO of Qara, a fintech startup from South Korea that provides an AI-powered online asset management and investment platform.
Prior to Qara, Son worked for two different fintech startups, namely Finda, a financial products aggregator, and Pocket Mobile, an online point-of-sale (POS) system. She has been a member of the WEF’s Global Shapers Community (GSC) in Seoul, South Korea, since 2012.
Lishia Erza
CEO, Asyx
Lishia Erza is the CEO of Asyx, a supply chain finance and collaboration services company connecting buyers, sellers, suppliers, distributors and financial institutions. Asyx specializes in digitizing land-based supply chains, particularly fast-moving consumer goods (FMCG) and agriculture businesses. Its advisory arm also works with national and local government agencies to map and develop sustainable small and medium-sized enterprise (SME) supply chains across various rural parts of Indonesia.
Erza has more than 15 years of experience in international business, reputation management and stakeholder engagement. She started her career in Indonesia managing a portfolio of companies in hospitality, healthcare and education industries.
Lizzie Chapman
Co-Founder and CEO, ZestMoney
Lizzie Chapman is the co-founder and CEO of ZestMoney, India’s largest digital lending platform that pioneered the concept of cardless EMI (equated monthly instalments), or buy now pay later.
Chapman has been a leading figure in India’s digital lending landscape since 2011 and is a CFA Charterholder. She started her career at Goldman Sachs in equity research and asset management. She then became an investor for The Wellcome Trust, one of the world’s largest endowments, focused on financial services and Indian investments. She is an Investment Committee member of the early stage fund India Quotient and sits on the board of IndiaMart, India’s leading SME marketplace and classified site.
Lucy Gazmararian
Founder, Women in Crypto, Hong Kong
Lucy Gazmararian is the founder and managing partner of Token Bay Capital, a Hong Kong based early-stage venture fund that invests in digital assets and blockchain companies with a focus on APAC. She’s also a co-chair of the Blockchain Committee of the Fintech Association of Hong Kong, and the founder of Women in Crypto, Hong Kong.
Prior to founding Token Bay Capital, Gazmararian was a senior leader of PwC’s global crypto team where she advised entrepreneurs, startups and financial institutions on their crypto and blockchain projects. She also worked with many of the world’s central banks and other regulatory bodies to help formulate their crypto asset policies and launch proof of concepts.
Before working in fintech and crypto, Gazmararian spent 16 years in banking and asset management with Goldman Sachs, Credit Suisse, Schroders and Kleinwort Benson managing the wealth of institutional and private clients in Asia, Europe and the Middle East. She spent her early career working in journalism with ABC News.
Lucy Yueting Liu
Co-Founder and President, Airwallex
Lucy Yueting Liu is the co-founder and president of Airwallex, a foreign exchange market making and cross border payment company focused on APAC markets. At Airwallex, she is responsible for overseeing ongoing business operations and client relationships.
Prior to Airwallex, Liu was an investment consultant at the China International Capital Corp (CICC), China’s first joint venture investment bank. After leaving CICC, she was the director of Hong Stone Investment Development, a Hong Kong-based investment company, where she designed and implemented their financial and operational strategy.
Pam Chuang
Head of Growth, Revolut Singapore
Pam Chuang is the head of growth of Revolut Singapore. In her role, Chuang is responsible for spearheading strategic partnerships and increasing adoption and usage of Revolut for consumers and businesses looking for an alternative to traditional banks in Singapore.
Prior to joining Revolut, Chuang was vice president of sales and partnerships at GoBear, one of Asia’s leading financial marketplaces, where she was instrumental in scaling the platform across Southeast Asia and Hong Kong.
Chuang’s career has spanned markets in China, Greater China and Southeast Asia. She has spent most of her career in partnerships and business development leadership roles in the financial services industry for companies including AIA Group, ReMark International, Saxo Bank and Aon Risk Services.
Renu Bhatia
Co-Founder, Asia Fintech Angels
Renu Bhatia is a founding partner of Hong Kong fintech accelerator SuperCharger, and the co-founder of Asia Fintech Angels, a company focused on developing early-stage startups in the region. She is also part of the Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing’s Listing Committee, and is a member of the Board of Review of the Inland Revenue Hong Kong.
Bhatia has extensive experience in investment banking, asset management and private investments, having worked at Goldman Sachs in New York and HSBC in Hong Kong.
Rosaline Chow Koo
Founder and CEO, CXA Group
Rosaline Chow Koo is a Singapore-based entrepreneur, innovator, and businesswoman who is the founder of CXA Group, Asia’s first employee benefits marketplace that enables employees to choose from a wide range of health and wellness perks based on a benefits budget provided by the employer.
Prior to founding CXA Group, Koo held positions at Procter & Gamble, Bankers Trust, Chubb (formerly ACE), and Mercer.
Val Yap
Founder and CEO, PolicyPal
Val Yap is the CEO and founder of PolicyPal, a leading insurtech firm in Asia and a member of the AMTD Group. PolicyPal provides a free app that allows users to organize and track all their insurance products in one dashboard.
Prior to founding PolicyPal, Yap held positions at various finance and insurance companies such as Allianz Group, PwC, OCBC Bank.
Today, she’s a frequent speaker at universities and conferences, has appeared in numerous magazines and publications, and has been recognized as one of the top finance innovators in APAC.
Featured image edited based on image by acekreations via Pixabay
