THE EXPERIENCE OF WENDY CHAN: HBSP No.

: NTU239
CHALLENGES FACED BY WOMAN Ref No.: ABCC-2019-004
LEADERS IN STEM-RELATED SECTORS Date: 26 February 2019

Maw-Der Foo, Angeline Lim, Wee-Kiat Lim

and Leong Yi Tung

It was 31st December – the eve of New Year’s Day. Wendy Chan, a data science team leader at Europa, a
multinational insurance firm, was still in the office writing her last email of the day. It was an important note
to the firm’s stakeholders to win their buy-in on her proposed data science projects. “Aren’t you leaving
soon?” asked one of her junior data scientists. She shook her head, waving at him to bid him farewell and
wishing him an enjoyable New Year’s Eve.

Devoting her full attention to the shareholders’ note once again, she applied the finishing touches to her
email, clicked the “send” button, and heaved a sigh of relief. Stretching her arms and leaning back in her
office chair, she noticed at the corner of her eye a pin board tucked away in a little nook in her cubicle,
barely visible through stacks of files and papers, and swivelled over to get a better view. The pin board was
filled with heart-warming messages from her team and colleagues. She realised that over the past year she
had been so caught up with work that she had not taken time to be grateful for all the good things that had
happened in her life.

It also dawned upon her that she had been with Europa for two years. Europa was an international
insurance company that offered a wide range of insurance and fund products. Serving close to 90 million
customers across the globe, Europa employed over 100,000 staff worldwide.

She reflected on her progress as a leader who was keenly aware of the barriers often faced by women
leaders, especially those in the Science, Technology, Engineering, and Math (STEM) domains. How did
she interact with and lead her team? What were the key challenges Wendy faced? How did these
challenges affect her?

Associate Professor Maw-Der Foo, Dr Angeline Lim, Senior Research Fellow Wee-Kiat Lim and Leong Yi Tung
prepared this case based on Generalised Experience. The authors conducted interviews with Wendy Chan. Wendy
Chan, Regina Watson, Europa, and WITS are pseudonyms. The authors also amended some details of the individuals
and organisations to protect their confidentiality. This case is intended for class discussion and learning, and not
intended as source research material, or as illustration of effective or ineffective management.
COPYRIGHT © 2019 Nanyang Technological University, Singapore. All rights reserved. No part of this publication may
be copied, stored, transmitted, altered, reproduced or distributed in any form or medium whatsoever without the written
consent of Nanyang Technological University.
The Asian Business Case Centre, Nanyang Business School, Nanyang Technological University, Nanyang Avenue,
Singapore 639798. Phone: +65-6790-4864/6552, E-mail: asiacasecentre@ntu.edu.sg

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WENDY, THE DATA SCIENCE LEADER

Wendy led the data science team at Europa and had nine male data scientists under her charge. Her team
managed the digitalisation initiatives in the company and developed data science solutions. Wendy’s job
required her to pay more attention to project management. Besides technical issues, she had to
communicate with various stakeholders, convincing them of the value of various data science projects. She
needed to show them the possibilities of data science in insurance.

Once a project was approved, Wendy would work with her team to plan the delivery of the solutions to the
relevant business units in the firm. In addition to guiding her team in technical matters, she was responsible
for the end-to-end processes of analytics and business solutions, from conceptualisation to operational
development to deployment.

WORK CHALLENGES AT EUROPA

While Wendy enjoyed working at Europa, there were moments when her identity as a woman seemed to
present unintended challenges in her work. Her experiences can be organised into three broad themes.

You Say Assertive, He Says Aggressive

Wendy recalled an executive meeting that afternoon when a male colleague was asserting his thoughts on a
proposed idea. Another male colleague rebutted and added his comments. The discussion escalated into a
heated argument in which both were so caught up that the boss had to step in. The colleague beside Wendy
whispered to her, “Wow, don’t you think both of them are so dedicated and passionate about the company?”

Following that, one of her senior female colleagues spoke up. Similar to the two male colleagues, she
presented her arguments with passion and confidence. Wendy was awed by her confidence and impressed
that she dared to speak her mind.

After the meeting, Wendy went to the pantry to grab a cup of coffee. As she was preparing her drink, she
overheard other meeting attendees criticising the senior female colleague, commenting that she was too
aggressive. Wendy was confused. Why was the female colleague judged differently from her male
counterparts? What if it were a man who had voiced his disagreement? Would my colleagues still make the
same disparaging remarks about him or feel that he was simply being assertive?

The “Women’s” Way of Doing Things

Wendy’s team juggled numerous demanding projects, and it was a challenge for Wendy to decide just how
much guidance to give her team in each task. While she did not want to restrict her team’s creativity and
freedom, sometimes she had to step in due to time constraints: she was also under time pressure to update
her superiors on the progress of the projects. During those occasions, she presented methods that the
team should use. Wendy wondered how she could draw the line between being too prescriptive and giving
her team enough space to explore and be creative, especially when her team members found it challenging
to complete the assigned tasks.

Also, Wendy noticed certain disparities between the behaviour of the males and females in her team with
regard to acknowledgement and assertiveness. One of her male technical leads always wanted his efforts
and contributions to be recognised publicly. Whenever she asked him to do something, he informed the
whole team. Wendy, on the other hand, was reserved by nature. She seldom sought validation from others
for her accomplishments. Neither did she like to boast about her success. She observed that most of her
female colleagues shared a similar sentiment that their superiors and colleagues somehow would notice
and acknowledge their efforts.

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Wendy used to have a female technical lead in her team who was just as competent as the male technical
lead. While both had similar responsibilities and were equally hardworking, they had different working styles.
The male lead would want things to be done his way. In contrast, the female lead would usually give in, as
she did not want to be caught up in an argument with him. The team felt that she did not contribute as much
because she did not voice her opinion. In the end, she was let go of after her probation.

Wendy also recalled a performance review she had with her direct superior. One comment that struck her
was related to her reserved personality. While Wendy thought she was showing humility, she did not realise
that her superior was unaware of her work and achievements. She learnt that her work would never tell a
story on its own. She had to inform her superiors of her work in progress and success.

Was being reserved an innate female behaviour or a societal norm? How could Europa, especially
her male colleagues and superior, help encourage women to be unafraid of sharing their work?
As a leader, how could she support and empower her team?

Balancing Self, Career, Friends, and Family

Besides challenges at the workplace, Wendy faced many difficulties managing her personal welfare, friends,
and family. Wendy had a full-time job in Europa, and was active in Women in Tech Singapore (WITS), a
non-profit organisation that sought to empower women who were passionate about technology. WITS
aimed to encourage more women to build technology start-ups, work in tech-related roles, or join the tech
industry. It organised many events and programs for women of all age and professions, such as mentorship
programs and hackathons. Wendy played a key role in the overall operations and partnership development
of WITS and sat on its advisory board. With such a hectic schedule, Wendy was often asked, “How do you
even juggle work, family, friends, and your own self-care?”

Wendy’s smartphone suddenly flashed, reminding her of a family dinner the next day. Wendy was excited
as it had been a long time since she last spent quality time with her family. Opening her calendar, she
reviewed the activities that had consumed her over the past few weeks. She had spent most of her time at
work, leaving little time for friends and family – or anything else for that matter.

Was I spending too much time at Europa and WITS? Was I neglecting my friends and family, and
my own personal well-being?

WENDY’S COPING STRATEGIES

Contemplating the past year, Wendy penned down what she had done to address the challenges she had
faced thus far, and listed some ideas she planned to put into action in the coming year.

Raising Awareness of Gender Stereotypes

Recently, Wendy had participated as a panellist at the Singapore Council of Women’s Organisations
(SCWO) Women’s Register Conversations. SCWO was an organisation that served to unite women in
Singapore and to represent them on various government committees, especially on issues concerning
family and gender equality.1 SCWO also aimed to promote and improve the status of Singaporean women
in all occupations. In addition, SCWO organised events that facilitated collaboration and the sharing of
information among member organisations.2

1
Singapore Council of Women’s Organisation. (N.D.) About us. Retrieved from http://www.scwo.org.sg/about-us/overview/about-
us/
2
Singapore Council of Women’s Organisation. (N.D.) Aims & objectives. Retrieved from https://www.scwo.org.sg/about-
us/overview/aims-objectives/

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During the Women’s Register Conversations, Wendy shared her career journey – her successes, struggles,
and personal strategies. She also talked about how she actively sought feedback from her supervisors and
her team to improve her leadership skills. She keenly knew of the unconscious bias3 against women leaders,
especially in the male-dominated STEM sectors. She knew that gender stereotypes coloured others’
opinions and reactions: an action performed by a man was often perceived differently if it had been
performed by a woman. Such gender stereotypes have prevented women from assuming leadership
positions.

Wendy believed that many challenges faced by current and aspiring women leaders stemmed largely from
the lack of awareness about this gender bias. Participating in talks and events to raise awareness of gender
stereotypes would bring to light issues faced by women leaders, and empower women in the workplace.
Wendy hoped she had encouraged the female attendees at the recent panel discussion to be unafraid of
becoming leaders and inspired them to find and pursue their passion.

Wendy believed that companies should organise talks or discussion panels on leadership and gender
issues, and sought to start with her home ground of Europa. These awareness events could be organised
by the human resource department. This would be an effective platform for everyone to know more about
existing barriers to female leadership, and could inspire and encourage women to become more effective
leaders.

The women on Europa’s board of directors would be ideal speakers at such events. Like most companies,
women were the minority on Europa’s board. These female board members acted as role models and
served as a source of inspiration for Wendy. Despite challenges associated with gender stereotypes and
shouldering extra responsibilities such as parenthood, they overcame the odds and rose up the ranks to
attain their positions of prestige and power.

Wendy also believed that women leaders should do more and speak out more because there was a
shortage of female role models, especially in the STEM sectors. She thought of Regina Watson, the Chief
Financial Officer of Europa Asia Pacific, who was well known for her eloquence and quality of ideas. Regina
would make an ideal panellist on such an event at Europa.

Finding and Prioritising “Me Time”

Even though Wendy did not spend as much time with her friends as before, she believed that this did not
affect their close-knit friendship. It was difficult for everyone to meet frequently, unlike during their university
days. At this stage in their lives, friendship was defined not by how much time they spent with one another,
but by how well they understood and related to one another. Wendy and her friends agreed to meet every
month.

Amidst her hectic work schedule, Wendy always found pockets of time for herself. She would wake up
earlier in the morning to meditate and go for morning runs. During lunch, she would enjoy a hot cup of flat
white coffee by herself. These little things created space for her to enjoy ‘me time’, and took her mind off
work temporarily.

Developing a Passion for her Job

Wendy dedicated a lot of her time to WITS, but she did not regret this a single bit. The previous year, Wendy
had forced herself to identify her passion. She knew she was interested in data science, but at that point,
she did not know what she was truly passionate about. After careful contemplation, she realised that she

3
Unconscious biases are social stereotypes about certain groups of people that individuals form outside their own conscious
awareness. Source: Navarro, R. (N.D.) Transcript: Unconscious bias welcome video. Retrieved from
https://diversity.ucsf.edu/resources/unconscious-bias-welcome-video-transcript

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was passionate about data literacy, believing it was a skill that everyone in this digital age should develop,
and female empowerment. She listened to her heart, and signed up for WITS, an organisation which aligned
with her values and championed both causes.

Having found her passion, Wendy also encouraged her team members to find theirs. She believed that
having a passion was important for long-term development. Unlike interests, which an individual typically
enjoys on a surface and transient level, passion encompasses a strong, enduring feeling of enthusiasm
that drives someone towards a long-term goal.

Identifying a Mentor and a Network of Support

There were many occasions when Wendy just wanted to be in front of her laptop on her own, focusing
single-mindedly on her work projects. Despite facing many challenges throughout her career and losing
motivation from time to time, Wendy had not faltered in her career and leadership journey. Wendy attributed
this to her network of support, which had kept her going during tough times.

She realised the importance of mentors as pillars of support. Her boss provided her with many opportunities
to help her achieve her goals and acted as her mentor. Whenever she reached her goals, it gave her the
motivation to push herself to achieve more. Her boss largely influenced her current drive at work, and
Wendy could not imagine how her career would look if she had not had him as her mentor.

Wendy’s group of close friends also helped her stay motivated in her self-development. For example,
Wendy aspired to get better at public speaking. She shared this with them, knowing the unspoken
agreement among them to listen without judging and to support one another’s goals unconditionally.
Inevitably, there were times when Wendy believed that her goal was unattainable. However, knowing there
were always friends who encouraged her made her outlook more optimistic and her journey much more
fulfilling.

Developing those under her Charge

Wendy had a motto that she followed religiously: If you have a team, their longer-term growth is your
responsibility. This was shaped by her experience as a manager in another technology company. Once,
she had to decide who to dismiss from the company. It was one of the toughest and most painful decisions
she had ever made. That incident made her realise that no one was indispensable. As a leader, she strove
to empower and improve her team continuously, helping her team members to be strong and independent
and making them realise their self-worth. They needed to be unafraid of being unemployed.

When Wendy first started her journey as a leader, she trusted her team to complete their given tasks
independently and held fortnightly meetings to check in with them. During these meetings, her team would
inform everyone about their progress, and about whether they expected any delays in their tasks. It was
through such engagements that she realised she had to occasionally pull the strings gently to guide her
team members, especially when they were falling behind in terms of schedule and deliverables. Wendy
also encouraged them to speak up, as she believed everyone should be heard, regardless of gender and
position.

Satisfied with her journey over the past year, Wendy packed her bags and headed home. She was
determined to address the challenges faced by many women leaders, especially those in STEM. As she
stepped out of the office building for the last time in the year, she wondered: “Am I being too idealistic? How
can I set measurable goals to achieve my vision and ideals?”

What else could Wendy do in Europa and WITS to improve the career opportunities of women leaders in
her company and elsewhere? What should her priorities be in the upcoming year?

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