With her background in private banking and financial services, Noor Quek understands very well the importance of taking calculated risks. This was exactly what she did 12 years ago when she left a successful banking career to found NQ International, her own wealth advisory firm specialising in legacy planning. “I have enjoyed the ride thus far. There’s a lot to be said about being your own boss, too.” she says candidly.
Not that Quek ever needed validation, but it was the global financial crisis that brought the importance of the work she does to the fore. “Many saw their wealth decline overnight,” she recalls. “I realised that legacy planning should start early. It’s good to have a diversified portfolio, not to be hasty in decisions to buy or sell, to seek second and even third opinions from reliable advisors, and not to follow the herd too often.”
There’s a common belief that wealth advisors are only interested in peddling financial products and services, but this cannot be further from the truth. Quek and most of her counterparts are guided by a genuine desire to help families manage their resources across generations. “The way to change this perception is through continuous education of both staff and clients,” she says. “The latter, especially those from the millennial generation, are getting more informed.”
When she’s not giving financial advice, Quek occupies herself with philanthropy, as co-founder of the Breast Cancer Foundation. She also mentors under NQ International’s Talent Identification branch. “I want to inspire women to reach their full capacities, be it as wife, mother, friend, grandmother or CEO.”
