Invest, Don't Trade

Managing funds for Asia's wealthiest families changed Stephanie Leung's relationship with money. The chief investment officer for Stashaway tells us how she takes a personal approach to her investment strategy.

- Karishma Tulsidas

Hong Kong-born Stephanie Leung grew up in a family where dinner conversations would revolve around stocks and investments. Even as a student studying computer science at the University of Michigan and later pursuing her master’s degree at Stanford University, she found time to trade, particularly in tech stocks in the early 2000s.

Upon returning to Asia to join management consultancy McKinsey in Hong Kong, the 44-year-old made the decision to sell all her tech stocks, a move she now regrets, as these same companies have since grown exponentially. Over the years, her journey from a computer science graduate to a consultant, trader, hedge fund founder, and now the chief investment officer of Stashaway, has changed her relationship with money. Today, Stephanie is a firm believer in long-term investing, and has made it her goal to empower others to do the same.

While she still finds excitement in daily trading, Stephanie’s investment strategy now prioritises stability, focusing on diversification across assets and funds. As an investment officer based in Hong Kong, Stephanie has constructed a portfolio that aligns with both her personal interests and financial goals, spanning investments in wine, art, crypto, and more.

How has your journey influenced your investment strategy?

After roles in consulting and trading, I ventured into managing a hedge fund. While hedge funds offered some relief from the constant mark-to-market pressure of traditional trading, they still operated with monthly marks, fostering short-term thinking prevalent in the industry.