Her Life’s Work, Her Legacy: A celebration of female leadership and impact

As guests moved through to the ballroom for the evening’s programme, emcee Nadya Hutagalung revealed what was to come. “This year’s International Women’s Day theme—Rights. Equality. Empowerment. For all women and girls—is a powerful call to action, reminding us to break barriers, champion equal rights and create opportunities where no one is left behind,” said Hutagalung. “In line with this theme, Her Life’s Work, Her Legacy is a celebration of the women who are shaping lives, challenging norms and driving meaningful change.”

Hutagalung introduced the symbolism of the event’s visual identity, sharing how waves were incorporated to represent movement, change and progress—much like the forward motion of all women leaders whose influence ripples across time; while layered green marble was chosen to reflect the strength, depth and resilience of those remarkable journeys.

Hutagalung then welcomed Raymond Ang, Standard Chartered’s global head of private banking and affluent clients, and head of wealth and retail banking for Greater China and North Asia, to the stage, who set the tone for the evening, emphasising the significance of supporting women leaders and entrepreneurs. “Tonight, we are joined by a remarkable line-up of speakers who have each built a legacy and made a profound impact in their respective fields—whether through storytelling, sports or business. Their journeys remind us that change happens in many ways, and every contribution, big or small, plays a part in shaping a better future.”

Standard Chartered is committed to driving diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI). The bank has made significant strides in improving gender equality, including increasing female representation in senior leadership roles (women now hold 33 per cent of senior roles globally and 40 per cent of the country management team in Singapore), and enhancing workplace benefits. Beyond the workplace, Standard Chartered is dedicated to lifting women’s participation in the economy, expanding access to financial services and providing skills and educational opportunities that support long-term economic empowerment.

For the forum’s first session, Malaysian activist Datin Paduka Marina Mahathir took to the stage alongside moderator Patrick Lee, CEO of Singapore and ASEAN at Standard Chartered, to reflect on her lifelong fight for gender equality and social justice, sharing how she first leveraged her influence as the daughter of the former prime minister, Tun Dr Mahathir Mohamad to advocate for HIV/AIDS awareness before championing women’s rights with Sisters in Islam. 

Mahathir remarked: "We can never take our foot off the pedal. For all the work we do, sometimes we get very little, but we have to keep pressing on." She also spoke about Malaysia’s recent legal changes, highlighting the long battle for women to pass citizenship to their children born overseas, a fight that has finally seen some success.

See also: Marina Mahathir on the changing impetus to travel

A powerful panel followed, featuring Kiera Chaplin, model, actress and philanthropist, and Dr Vibha Bakshi, award-winning filmmaker and social advocate, moderated by Marisa Drew, chief sustainability officer at Standard Chartered Bank. It explored how the creative industries, and its leading proponents, can be catalysts for change. Bakshi’s groundbreaking documentaries, which include Daughters of Mother India and Son Rise, have influenced policy and mobilised social movements, while Chaplin has leveraged her family’s storytelling legacy to advocate for women’s rights and environmental sustainability.

Bakshi emphasised: “It’s not about changing the world. It’s about changing the people around you, and even if you have impacted one life, it is worth it.” Chaplin reinforced the importance of raising difficult conversations, particularly around female genital mutilation, which she campaigns against, particularly as president of the Desert Flower Foundation, stating: “Bringing awareness and sticking together is crucial. When there’s light on an issue, that’s how we will be able to get rid of it.”

The event’s final session saw sporting legends Datuk Nicol David, former world squash champion, and Camille Cheng, three-time Olympic swimmer, seven-time Asian Games medalist and mental health advocate, share their journeys beyond competitive sports. Moderated by Mike Tan, global head of wealth planning and family advisory at Standard Chartered Global Private Bank, the session highlighted their transition into philanthropy—David’s foundation empowering young athletes in Malaysia, and Cheng’s mental health initiatives supporting youth in Hong Kong.

David reflected on finding herself after retirement: “For me, the biggest challenge was identity, where you are an athlete and nothing else really clicks. You feel like that’s all you can do. But that’s not true. We have to convince ourselves that’s not true, and we have to make it possible for our own good.” She also spoke about the emotional challenge of stepping away from a two-decade-long career. “Retirement felt like a breakup. I had to go through the emotions, but I knew I had something to look forward to—to make change for young lives and for women.”

See also: Datuk Nicol David is shifting her sports legacy to empower tomorrow’s athletes and their families

Cheng shared the importance of athletes redefining their identity beyond sport: “Your identity is so wrapped up in your sport. When I moved back to Hong Kong after my first Olympics [Rio de Janeiro in 2016], I felt lost. I didn’t have the vocabulary to talk about how I was feeling or the resources to get help. That experience drove me to start my work in mental health—to create the spaces and conversations I wish I had.”

Cheng added, “One of the things that I've learned is we are athletes, but we're also more than athletes, and it's really important to cultivate that identity and those passions outside of sport.” Not yet retired, she says, “Being an active swimmer gives me a voice. I’m at the Olympics and there’s a spotlight that I can use to talk about other things. Actually, the biggest challenge for me is the topic that I’ve decided to tackle around mental health, because there’s still a lot of stigma and not a lot of understanding, so it’s been hard to to get people to invest and understand why it matters.”

See also: Meet the Hong Kong Olympic swimmers who founded Mind The Waves to help the city’s youth navigate mental health challenges

Complementing the evening’s rich discussions was a six-course dining experience, curated by Chef Bee Satongun, who helms Michelin-starred restaurant Paste in Bangkok and was named Asia’s Best Female Chef in 2018, and who had flown in for the occasion, and Chef Eric Neo of Capella Singapore. Each dish paid homage to the contributions of women in the culinary world, elevating the event into a sensory celebration of legacy and leadership.

The evening concluded with a collective call to action—for guests to continue breaking barriers, championing equal rights and fostering meaningful change to turn their own life’s work into a lasting legacy.

The gathering reinforced that true impact is measured by the change we inspire in others. Her Life’s Work, Her Legacy was a reminder that progress is a shared journey, and that every woman’s story has the power to shape the future.

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