“When faced with challenges, you must step up and use it as a learning experience.” – Lung Nien Lee
“All of them look young,” says Lung Nien Lee, head of South Asia at Citi Private Bank, as his eyes dart across the published stories from Robb Report Singapore’s Thought Leaders 2023.
To a richly experienced individual such as Lee, the moniker of ‘Thought Leader’ may seem better reserved for the vigorous wunderkinds. But a thought leader isn’t defined by age, nor by any arbitrary measurement of effervescence. Those nominated are required to possess one vital quality: a willingness to push the status quo.
To that effect, Lee, who has been part of Citi’s journey for over 30 years, fits the bill to a tee. A simple leaf through his resume will reveal a man who has never shied away from a challenge—with stints in diverse facets of finance, from sales and operations to refining the bank’s anti-money laundering processes in the region. His results speak for themselves: within six months as the regional head of anti-money laundering in 2013, Lee ensured that approximately 3,000 relationship managers were trained in meticulous and stringent anti-money laundering processes.
But it’s not just his results that deserve admiration. Lee is generous, profusely so, in sharing the wisdom he’s accumulated. From dispensing advice on routes to success to students at prestigious universities around the world, to the weekly nuggets of wisdom he shares on his social pages, Lee possesses two of the best qualities a leader can have—the know-how in breaking down walls, and the charisma that inspires others to do the same.
You’ve previously mentioned that you’d like to be remembered as someone who breaks down barriers. Could you elaborate on why that is?
I like change. I have never been one to just sit back, relax, and leave things as they are. That’s just my personality.
What is one thing about you that’s not commonly known?
I’m a musician. I’ve played the drums since I was 12 and I still jam with the same band from 25 years ago. The funny thing is, when I used to play wedding gigs, there’d sometimes be Citibank staff in the audience. They’d always come up to me at the end of the gig, and ask, “boss, what are you doing?”
How do you balance that passion for music with your professional career?
I don’t call it work-life balance. I call it work-life integration. You have to add the two together, and learn to prioritise. It can never just be about work because if you want to be an interesting person, you cannot just have a single interest. You need to have different elements—that’s what makes you interesting.
What are the values you believe to be crucial to success?
You must have a can-do attitude. If you can get things done, even the smallest, most mundane things, it builds credibility and trust. Another one is self awareness. You must know your strengths and weaknesses, and surround yourselves with people who can help cover for the things you are lacking in. And lastly, you should learn to work with urgency. Don’t sit back and wait for things to happen, go out and push the envelope.
What is one thing everyone should experience at least once in life?
Life is not about that one thing—because if it were, then what happens after you’ve experienced it? Of course, certain things come to mind, like the out-of-this-world feeling I get whenever I listen to Bohemian Rhapsody. Or the emotion and energy in the air when a band is locked in and in the groove. But it can never be just one thing—it must always be the next thing.