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Singapore, NUS EMBA (Class of 2014)

Janice Koh

Chair

Women in Fintech Sub-committee, Singapore FinTech Association

Giving women the platform to shine: Janice Koh (Class of ’14)

Janice Koh, NUS EMBA Class of ’14, is driven by a deeply personal mission: to ensure that the support she once yearned for is now within reach for women with big dreams.

“I came from a very humble background,” says the director and co-leader of the McKinsey Center for CEO Excellence. Reflecting on her journey, Janice shares that she had to teach herself the ropes and break through barriers on her own. “I wish that I had mentors and people to guide me when I was younger. If I had such a support system earlier, I would have been able to learn more, learn faster, and progress quicker.”

Determined to rewrite that story for others, Janice dedicated herself to championing women in the industry. As the former chair of the Women in FinTech sub-committee at the Singapore FinTech Association, she was very passionate and played a pivotal role in bridging the gap for the younger generation of aspiring female leaders.

The mission of the Women in FinTech sub-committee was to create a powerful professional network for women in the industry. “We wanted to connect, encourage, and empower women in our community,” she explains. The sub-committee accomplished this through initiatives such as leadership workshops and mentorship programs.

A stage, and a safe space for women leaders

A program that resonated deeply with Janice was the sub-committee’s flagship initiative, She Starts Up. This was the brainchild conceived together with her fellow sub-committee members: Carrie Suen (Vice President & Head of Global Affairs and Strategic Developments, Ant International) Eelee Lua (Chief of Staff, Xcube.co), Shivani Mukherjee (Fintech Investment Advisor, Kadan Capital), Lisa Shroders (Product & Innovation Manager, UBS).

Launched in 2022, She Starts Up aimed to address the challenges that female founders in the FinTech space face—putting the spotlight on women leaders and their inspiring stories to promote female entrepreneurship.

Janice pointed to a staggering statistic from the World Economic Forum: globally, women-funded companies received just 2 percent of all venture capital investment in 2023.

“When female founders seek funding from venture capital or private equity, the process is often highly scrutinizing and incredibly tough,” she explained. She Starts Up sought to change that narrative through a long-tail campaign designed to create lasting impact.

Among the start-ups that participated in the initiative in its inaugural year were tokenization platform InvestaX, financial connectivity platform Starfish Digital, and green financing platform Huma Finance.

Beyond access to funding, the sub-committee also fostered an informal mentoring community within She Starts Up. “It was really about encouraging women to break the glass ceiling and become the leaders they aspired to be. We provided them with the support and safe space to make bold moves for themselves.”

Before stepping down, Janice and her team prioritized strengthening the foundation of the community they had built. “The initial phase was about building the community and fostering connections. As we progressed, our focus shifted to formalizing our mission and initiatives to ensure they provide deeper, more sustainable benefits to the FinTech ecosystem.”

Allies and advocates

Looking at the FinTech industry as a whole, Janice remains optimistic. “We made significant strides in championing diversity.”

She highlights how the president of the Singapore FinTech Association, Shadab Taiyabi and other male members of various sub-committees were valuable sponsors and allies. “We didn’t actually feel like it was a male-dominated community,” she reflects. “At the workshops we organized, we were happy to see men actively participating and supporting our cause.”

Janice has always been a staunch advocate for recognizing the strength and capabilities of women in FinTech. She is clear about one thing: women don’t need special treatment to succeed. “We are as good as the men, and we can reach that equal level based on our own capabilities.”

She points to corporate diversity agendas as an example. “Sometimes, organizations may consider appointing a woman candidate to the C-suite, even if they’re not entirely convinced she’s the best fit.”

But “we don’t need that kind of special consideration,” Janice emphasizes, adding that such decisions can perpetuate the social stigma that female leaders reach their positions based on gender rather than merit.

Looking back at her own journey, Janice offers advice to her younger self—and to all the women following in her footsteps. “It’s okay to fail,” she says. “Success comes quicker when you fail, learn, and say, ‘I won’t make these mistakes again.’”