Hard work and perseverance will always pay off, in the end, is a message that young people in today’s world need to hear, and no one could deliver that message to our students better than Dr. Leslie Chan, Ph.D.  Dr. Chan, professor of Finance in the School of Business at AIU, started his illustrious career as a humble schoolboy in Singapore.  Working hard and studying relentlessly landed Chan in the National University of Singapore, the number one university in the country and top 25 in the world.  After graduation, Chan found a job in the competitive Singaporean job market working for a Japanese-owned shipyard.  Within a few months, Dr. Chan was recognized by his Japanese manager as someone of great ability and was personally trained by him in the formal Japanese style of management.  Within just three months, Dr. Chan was left alone to manage the shipyard, by that time the largest in Singapore.  Though the position was extremely difficult and at the time very dangerous, Dr. Chan persevered.  He managed to build the shipyard up to one of the largest in Asia within a matter of just a few years.  

Having gained an immense wealth of knowledge and experience, Chan wanted to cement his career in the business world and decided to study for his master’s degree and relocated to Edinburgh where he studied International Banking and Finance.  Upon graduation, Chan moved home to Singapore only to land in the middle of a financial crisis.  This, however, did not stop Chan from succeeding.  Working at odd jobs to make ends meet Chan, through his hard work and dedication, was eventually scouted by Chase Bank and developed the Singapore branch’s international trade and finance department.  Having successfully built-up Chase Bank in Singapore, Chan made his move to the banking giant, Bank of China, and relocated to Australia. 

 Again, through his hard work, dedication to his field, and expert knowledge, Chan was given the responsibility for overseeing the opening of several new branch offices of Bank of China across Australia and New Zealand, a major success for Bank of China and their growth in the region.  Chan eventually went on to earn his Ph.D. in Finance and taught at the University of Southern Queensland before joining the faculty at AIU.  Dr. Chan’s advice to those seeking a career in business is, “Don’t study just to study.  Be passionate about what you do.  Work hard and reach for your goals.”  Sound advice from an experienced individual.