Front & Female’s most popular interviews of 2023—and what we learned

"I had to be successful first before becoming myself so that I could become a live example to everyone that anything is possible when you believe in yourself, and that it’s never too late to become who you are,” says Thai transgender businesswoman Anne Jakrajutatip, who acquired the Miss Universe organisation in October 2022.

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“Women need to speak up. Love your own voice. Seek out the opportunities that you want and if an opportunity comes in your path, grab it, because it may not come again," says Cisco’s ASEAN President Bee Kheng Tay. "You will never know whether you can do the job until you do the job. Believe in the capability of women—women find a way to do the job.”

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“For a lot of workaholics, we think [of rest] as time wasted, [but really it’s] time you’re using to make yourself even better," says ex-BuzzFeed video producer-turned-YouTuber Inga Lam. "Your phone needs to recharge to function again, right? It’s the same thought.”

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“I believe sport helped to unlock my potential. It built my confidence, instilled the importance of commitment and accountability to myself and others, introduced the importance of working with a group of individuals with different backgrounds, experiences, skill sets and personalities to achieve a common goal, and most importantly, it gave me purpose and brought me joy,” says Nikki Neuburger, Lululemon’s chief brand officer, in an exclusive interview with Front & Female.

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“If you look at startup life, it’s actually very similar to doing basic science," says Winnie Lee, co-founder and chief operating officer of Appier, a software-as-a-service (SaaS) company which in 2021 became Taiwan’s first digital unicorn to list on the Tokyo Stock Exchange, and the first Taiwanese company to list in Japan in over 23 years. "In order to do it well, you need to be familiar with a space so you can identify one very important question, or a need in the market that has not been answered yet. Then, you need to put 120 percent of dedication into answering that question the fastest, then publish or go to market quickly and strongly before anyone else.”

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“One of [my mum's] many words of wisdom for me when I started flying was to have empathy in all that I do," says Scoot cabin crew member Nur Aida Noor Hashim. "It’s important to understand that everyone comes from different backgrounds and has different experiences. Understanding one’s needs and priorities has helped me to tactfully interact with the many different people I meet on my travels; these are words I will always hold dear.”

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"Balance should be measured on a longer term, not just every day,” says Ayala Corporation's executive director Mariana Zobel de Ayala. “I used to try to work out, say more than two words to my husband, take my son to school, and spend time with friends and even partners daily or weekly. Then I realised that maybe I do not need to check all the boxes perfectly every day or even every week. Now, the stretches have gotten longer. I’ve realised that some weeks and some months lean more heavily towards work, but perhaps other weeks will give me more family time. If I take time off with my husband and son, I try to find moments to be fully present. I also believe there will come a time in my life when I’ll have more flexibility. And with that, I’ve left the idea of a daily/weekly balance behind.”

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“We have developed a culture [at Rosewood] that’s very honest, and I think that’s really important,” says Sonia Cheng, CEO of Rosewood Hotel Group. Treating the team as partners, rather than employees, and “being honest about: what is the issue? How do we solve it together? That is how we go through challenges”

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“Life is not about finding yourself, it’s the journey of making those decisions and creating yourself and becoming who you want to become,” says half-Korean, half-British model Mia Kang. “I always knew I wanted to become a strong and independent woman, so I became one.”

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“When I embarked on my journey in the stockbroking field, my greatest motivation to succeed was driven by a deep desire to challenge the status quo and strive for excellence,” says Tan Sri Tengku Noor Zakiah, the 97 year-old advisor to and co-founder of Kenanga Group, who made history sixty years ago as the first licensed Malay female stockbroker in Malaysia. “I was fuelled by a strong sense of purpose, aiming to prove my abilities while simultaneously inspiring and creating opportunities for other women in the industry. Making a positive impact and reshaping societal perceptions were important for me.”

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“I treasure great friendships because I am a product of a village, and this village was made up of girls and gays. I had godmothers and fairy godfathers," says Dee Poon, president of Esquel brands and distribution and founder of Tessellation. "As you get older, you realise that you just need people around you who can help, and they often aren’t straight men: they are women, because women help other women.”

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"Just like the story of the hummingbird, I thought that even in my small way, there was something I could do to help. I want to see the world become a better place,” says actress and singer Nadine Lustre referring to the fable made famous by the late Kenyan Nobel Peace Prize laureate and professor Wangari Maathai. It tells of a hummingbird that, despite being the smallest creature in a burning forest, tries to extinguish the flames by bringing as much water as possible. “That story touched my heart.”

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