Asian women that I LOVE
March 8th 2012 - Tomorrow is our big day! Give yourself a pat on your back if you are a woman and proud of it. In conjunction with International Women’s Day, I have hand-picked five notable ladies to recognise and celebrate their contributions to society.
Who: Professor Chan Heng Chee, Ambassador of Singapore to the United States
Why I love her: She made a name for herself by becoming the first woman ambassador from an East Asian country to be assigned to the United States and has been named as one of the 100 most powerful women in Washington, alongside top American diplomat Hillary Clinton.
Achievements: She was the recipient of the Inaugural International Woman of the Year Award in 1998 from the Organization of Chinese American Women (OCAW) and in 1991, received Singapore’s first “Women of the Year” award.
Professor Chee also received Singapore's Meritorious Service Medal in 2005 and the Distinguished Service Order, the highest National Day Award conferred in August 2011.
Words to live by: “First, you must not be afraid to ask questions and learn. I worry that this art of asking questions and exercising the mind is disappearing among young Singaporeans. There is too much concern with not appearing stupid.”
Who: Dr Georgia Lee, Aesthetic physician and skin doctor
Why I love her: She’s both a doctor and a fashionista! Yep, that’s Dr Georgia Lee for you. A regular on the society circuit, she is one of Singapore’s best known aesthetic doctors thanks to her glamorous appeal. She calls many celebrities and socialites Dr Frank Cintamani included, her close friends.
Achievements: Troubled by her own skin issues, she delved into aesthetic and eventually opened her own practice in 1999 named TLC Medical Centre to provide patients with a holistic approach to skin care.
She also started her very own skincare line, DrGL®, to cater to Singapore’s climate. DrGL® has received rave reviews and fans swear by it.
Her skincare line has garnered three winning nominations in the Her World Beauty Awards 2012.
Words to live by: “Develop a good business idea, or vision in your professional work that may predict the future needs of ever-changing markets. And ultimately to keep the faith and be focused on your goals.”
Who: Olivia Lum, founder, group chief executive officer, and president of the Singapore-based Hyflux Group
Why I love her: She is a classic example of rags-to-riches woman. Olivia Lum went from being a penniless orphan to being featured on Forbes. She is living proof that hard work and dedication will take you far in life.
Achievements: She has been nicknamed the "Water Queen" for her success in building Hyflux in 16 years into the largest water-treatment company in Southeast Asia.
In 2005, she was the only woman to earn a place on Forbes’ Southeast Asia Rich List. As of 2007, her company grew tremendously and was worth SGD$1 billion and employed more than 800 people.
Words to live by: "I had to make sure it was a good job, so I did it myself."
Who: Freida Pinto, actress and model
Why I love her: This rising star is best known for her work in the 2008 Academy Award winning film Slumdog Millionaire. She found success in changing Hollywood's perception of Indian beauty and had been featured in People magazine's “Most Beautiful People List” and “List of World's Best Dressed Women”. She also made the cut for Vogue's 2009 annual list of the most stylish women.
Achievements: According to The Daily Telegraph, she is currently the highest paid Indian actress and won a Screen Actors Guild Award for Outstanding Performance by a Cast in a Motion Picture. She was also nominated for "Best Actress in a Supporting Role" at the 2009 BAFTA Awards. Her other work includes supporting philanthropic organisation "Agassi Foundation". She is the only Indian actress to have participated in their annual fund raiser titled, "The 15th Grand Slam for Children", that aims at raising funds for education of underprivileged children.
Words to live by: “I generally just take good care of myself.”
Who: Chanda Kochhar, Managing Director (MD) and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of ICICI Bank
Why I love her: Besides being the MD and CEO of India’s largest Private sector bank, Chanda Kochhar has managed to beautifully combine the conventional act of being a mother at home, and a professional at work. As a working mum, she finds time to manage her children’s lives and supervises what is happening at home. Her daughter, Aarti Kochhar, was quoted saying that she cannot recollect a single morning of her life whereby her mother has not woken her up for school, no matter where she is. Aarti also expressed that her mother is her confidante and shares everything her.
Achievements: Under Kochhar's leadership, ICICI Bank won the “Best Retail Bank in India” award in 2001, 2003, 2004 and 2005 and “Excellence in Retail Banking Award” in 2002. Kochhar was personally awarded "Retail Banker of the Year 2004 and “Business Woman of the Year 2005. Kochhar has also consistently been featured in Fortune's list of "Most Powerful Women in Business" since 2005.
Words to live by: “Whenever there’s a challenge, I see an opportunity.”
Source: Wikipedia
Image Source: Wikipedia, DrGL, Hyflux
By, Zaim Zahari