Sally Yin – Finding my voice in the workplace

Becoming a new mother to twin boys during the pandemic was no walk in the park, but with support and flexibility given by the Bank, Sally is thriving both at work and at home

It was not the best of times when I first joined SC Ventures, the Bank’s innovation arm, in August last year. Not only was the world still in the midst of a pandemic, I had also recently given birth to twin boys who were only several months old. At that time, I was not able to get enough hands at home to help take care of my babies.

What I’m immensely grateful for was that in my moment of desperation, my boss came up to me and offered a flexi-work arrangement even though I was still a relatively new hire. He told me that family comes first and left it up to me to decide how to manage my time.

Now, I can work from home and squeeze in taking care of my babies in the day. I finish the remaining work at night when they go to sleep. The support I’ve received from my boss and colleagues has been tremendous – I couldn’t have managed to juggle work and family without this flexibility and their kind support.

I was hired as a member of the fund investment team at SC Ventures, where I look at strategic investments in fintech-related industries. We invest in companies not just for financial returns, but we also focus on developing future-ready capabilities and businesses. In addition, I am involved in fundraising, M&A and other potential partnership activities.

Prior to joining SC Ventures, I studied business and computer science back in university, and I have been working in venture capital and private equity investment for 7 years.

Working in a male-dominated industry, my experiences varied. I was once told by a company during an interview that they do not like the idea of having a female fund manager. I was also told to keep quiet during meetings. As a result of some of these experiences, I was used to keeping my mouth shut.

Here at SC Ventures, there’s a very open and supportive environment where everyone is free to speak up. My opinions and contributions are recognised, valued and appreciated, which really increased my confidence and motivation. Being new, I kept quiet at first as I was afraid of making mistakes. However, my boss and colleagues told me that they have my back and will help guide me. All these really made me feel less isolated or invisible especially when I have always been working from home.

As a working mother and a relatively new joiner, one important advice I have for others in my position is to ask for help whenever you need it – you are never alone.