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“The two most important days of your life are the day you are born, and the day you find out why” – Mark Twain.
Empathetic, open-minded and always cheerful, Spire Group’s Associate Director Cheryl Huang (RNF no: HXX300225710) embodies the principles required of a multi-faceted financial advisor. Born into a small and loving family, Cheryl spent her secondary school days exploring and experimenting with different career paths. With some luck and perhaps, fate, Cheryl’s first plunge into her future career was as a financial services intern at AIA, where she first experienced the financial services industry.
However, Cheryl’s true calling as a financial adviser only knocked on her door 7 years after she graduated from SIM with a Diploma in Management Studies. Despite the terrifying concept of quitting her previous stable and well-paying job to pursue a completely separate career path in financial advisory, Cheryl’s unyielding drive and determination drove her to join Manulife as the starting point in her financial advisory career. In 2019, after being a part of Manulife and Synergy, she joined Spire, quickly rising to become a cornerstone member of the team as an associate director and a branch manager.
Q: What are some of the key principles you stick to when meeting clients?
A: I prefer to consider my clients as extensions of myself. Therefore, any products or services that I suggest to them come from a place of genuine regard for their continuous well-being. I also find it important to be meticulous in detail and come up with comprehensive solutions which are based on well-reviewed fundamentals. I believe in placing the importance on honesty and building a mutually trustable working relationship so that both parties can benefit synergistically.
Q: Evident from your impressively extensive career, there must have been situations that felt too difficult to face or impossible to solve. How did you manage to face those situations?
A: I believe setbacks are always a part of life. Many times, I have fallen into the trap of thinking that life is without hurdles and that it will be a smooth sailing journey. The reality, however, is far more disappointing than it seems. Typically, when I face such situations, I like to reflect and critically analyse what the issue is to come up with a tailored solution for that instance.
Q: From your experience in Spire thus far, could you describe the working environment?
A: Having been a part of Spire for over 3 years now, I see immense potential in all the advisers. Having witnessed the progression in their careers over the past few years, I am certain of Spire’s ability to achieve greater heights. There is also a variety of personal characters in the office, which forms a harmonious blend of talent, ability and attitude. This incredible diversity has helped Spire’s advisers to complement each other’s strengths and alleviate one another’s weaknesses resulting in a truly homogeneous working environment.
Q: In your experience as a manager, what are some of the challenges you face in your daily life?
A: Being a manager in Spire has been a very rewarding and incredible journey. Being able to nurture young advisers and witness them grow out of their shells as confident, fully-fledged individuals is truly remarkable. However, it does come with the issue of needing to wear many ‘hats’ and having to constantly multitask. Despite the struggle, I would not choose to change anything because the rewards far outweigh the small sacrifices I have had to make.
Living with her husband, Cheryl leads a simple life surrounded by happiness. A martial art enthusiast in her free time, she adores dropping by her Muay Thai gym to alleviate stress by sparring with her partner and performing complex manoeuvres. Free-spirited at heart and always willing to learn, Cheryl also periodically enjoys leaving the confines of Singapore and travelling around the world to see and garner new perspectives.
Cheryl’s caring and bubbly nature have earned a special place in the hearts of Spire’s colleagues who describe her as a warm and trustworthy person to turn to for support. It is then no wonder that she has led an impressive career and left an immensely positive impact in the lives of many; colleagues, friends and clients alike. Keep rocking!