#WOMENINTECH

Cheryl Lee and Shirley Crystal Chua’s combined experiences have given meaningful momentum to their three-month old tech club, Spectrum. They share with lionnel lim their singular vision

YOU CAN SENSE the close friendship and bonding as their easy banter is peppered with anecdotes of family and social gatherings. When asked a question, each defer to the other. From a female-to-female perspective, Cheryl Lee credits Shirley Crystal Chua for her “ability to trigger a call to action for me to discover my inner strength.” While Chua praises Lee’s gift to “make everyone comfortable, from the staff to the cleaning aunties. She is just so personable.”

The last year was especially challenging for women, especially in the West, starting with the Women’s March to Susan Fowler’s blog about the toxic culture with regards to sexism and harassment at Uber and, of course, #metoo. So how have these affected Spectrum, a first-of-itskind tech and innovation business club established by these two high-fliers?

“Tech has always been perceived as a male-dominated industry. However, we have seen progressive changes in the past years. I try to place my opinion out there about tech and try to advocate as best as possible that there is a place for women with the right skill sets, attitude and personality,” Chua says.

Lee, formerly Asia Managing Director at a private bank, concurs. “By ensuring that we are confident and equipped with what and how we represent the ideas and strategy and to engage in inclusive discussions, to create excitement together and share, rather than pit intellectual notions and hard opinions against the opposite sex or defer in reverence ‘just because’ it’s a gender-perceived industry. We strike the balance and articulate fresh perspectives, which allows the negotiations from both sides to take a dynamic course to steer it to the same end game for win-wins.”