Learning to give back from a young age

Overcoming adversity
From a young age, Cissy aspired to support her father’s business as an entrepreneur. He played an influential role in her life when she was growing up in Longyan City in Fujian Province.

However, her father’s business had to deal with some legal issues when she was in her senior year at high school. To assist him, she decided to study law at the China University of Political Science and Law.

But tragedy later struck. Her father died of cancer when Cissy was in her fourth year at university. At the time, Cissy was highly involved in the insurance claims following her father’s death, prompting her to make an unexpected career change to insurance.

Cissy always reminds herself: "To put ideas into practice!" This positive mindset makes overcoming life’s challenges easier.

Inheriting family values
When Cissy was studying for her Executive Master of Business Administration (EMBA) programme at CityUHK in 2016, a lecture theatre at CityUHK was named after her friend following his staunch support to the University. Remembering her father’s kind deeds, she felt prompted to contribute to her alma mater’s development. Since graduation, she has been supporting CityUHK devotedly through various platforms.

In August 2023, classroom 6-207 at 6/F, Lau Ming Wai Academic Building on campus was named the "Cissy Wong Ying Executive Classroom" in recognition of her steadfast support. She took her EMBA classes with teachers and classmates in this classroom, making the naming even more meaningful.

Reaching out as a role model
Cissy wishes to give back to society and build a caring image of the industry among the general public.

She hopes her donation will inspire other CityUHK alumni to contribute to their alma mater for its long-term development and benefit the next generation.

Committed to contributing to alumni affairs, Cissy serves as Vice-Chairman of the CityUHK EMBA (Chinese) Alumni Association cum Chairman of its Executive Committee in Hong Kong. Her support has helped strengthen the connection between CityUHK and EMBA alumni in particular.

Striving for continuous improvement
Cissy is the founder of the elite wealth management team AIA ACE of AIA International Limited and the youngest female Premier Senior District Director at AIA in Hong Kong. Her remarkable achievements in her career are widely acknowledged. Cissy advises other young women today that while they are getting stronger and wiser in the workplace, they should showcase a gentler femininity at the same time.

Though it’s tough for female leaders to balance work and family, it’s important to make it happen, she says.

Impressed by CityUHK's advances in research and technology, Cissy looks forward to CityUHK scaling new heights under the leadership of President Boey in this challenging and ever-changing era.

Ms Cissy Wong Ying

• Premier Senior District Director, AIA International Limited
• CityUHK EMBA (2017)
• Honorary Vice-President, CityUHK Foundation
• Vice-Chairman, CityUHK EMBA (Chinese) Alumni Association cum Chairman of the Executive Committee in Hong Kong
• Member, Steering Committee for the “United, We Soar” campaign (campaign ended in 2022)
• Executive Committee Member, CityUHK Eminence Society

This article is extracted from CityUHK Today.