Not only are flashing cameras and incessant questions from crowds of reporters no strange occurrences to Margaret Leung Ko May-yee, HSBC general manager and global co-head of commercial banking, the delicate art of juggling career and family is also the banker's daily routine.

Nestled at the upper echelons of power in one of the world's largest banks, Leung is the epitome of a successful career woman. However, the banker said she is also a normal mother of two.

"Whatever a normal person does, I like to do as well. Like golfing, shopping and gathering with friends to gossip," said Leung, sitting in her office overlooking the Victoria Harbour.

As one of the five female general managers in the global bank, Leung faced hurdles and dilemmas on her journey to the top, especially when she decided to become a mother. Leung, who joined HSBC in 1978, admitted that her consecutive pregnancies with two daughters did slow her climb up the corporate ladder.

Promotion vs pregnancy

People walk past the HSBC headquarters in Central. Photos by Edmond Tang

Driven by ambition, Leung said she was always on the lookout for opportunities to move up the ranks. However, pregnancy didn't bode well with promotions.

"I knew there was a vacancy, and asked my boss whether I'd be considered for the post," Leung said, "he said 'yes, we can plan it, only if you can promise that you will not be pregnant again.'" She acknowledged that when it comes to professional advancement, there are some disadvantages for females even though there had been greater access to nanny services nowadays for professional women to become mothers.

However, pregnancy is only the beginning of the long uphill battle for career women, when young children present mothers with additional headaches. Leung said mothers should expect runny noses and coughing fits 50 percent of the time once children start school. Other than minor ailments, the mother of two said injury is where the real test for career moms lie.

"Once my mother-in-law called me at the office in a state of panic," Leung said, "She told me my elder daughter's arm got broken." Instead of becoming panicky and rushing off to see her then kindergarten-aged daughter, an unruffled Leung took some time devising a simple test over the phone to gauge the seriousness of her daughter's injuries.

"I know my daughter loves to eat, so I told my mother-in-law to give her some sweets that needs both hands to unwrap," Leung said. Her mother-in-law told Leung that her daughter had taken the sweet, and unwrapped the wrapping with two hands immediately, before popping the sweet snack into her mouth as if nothing happened.

"By then I know she is alright," Leung said with a smile.

However, maintaining the fine balance between work and family is not always that easy.

Career advancement; family heartache

In 1985, an opportunity came Leung's way when HSBC's first bank in Australia was set up. "Not only was this good for my career, but it also made application for immigration possible," Leung said.

With her younger daughter still at a tender age of two, Leung said embarking on the three-year project in Australia alone was one of the toughest periods in her life.

"My husband kept telling my younger daughter that mommy will come back soon after they saw me off at the airport," Leung said. Hearing this on the phone in Australia, Leung broke into tears. "I just felt miserable." Leung said.

After the initial months of daily phone calls, she realized that she needed her daughters. "I cannot adjust without them, so my husband and I decided to send my daughters over to Australia, while my husband used to shuttle between Hong Kong and Australia," Leung said.

Commitment, vision and integrity

Now with her children all grown up, the general manager said the need to balance family and work continues to be her priority. Leung, who manages the booming SME (small and medium enterprise) market in Asia and the Middle East, made it a point that weekends are reserved for family. Willingness to allocate responsibilities to others is the key to achieving the balance, Leung said. She admitted that it is very common that managers distrust their staff and horde all the work, making life stressful for themselves, their staff, and ultimately their family.

"You need to have more faith and trust in your staff," Leung said, "I'd rather be very picky during the hiring process rather than breathing down my staffs' necks all the time."

Brought up to become a doctor, Leung's successful banking career was marked by tackling parental disapproval and family sacrifices. With a strong commitment to professionalism, she said having a clear vision for the future is crucial for success.

"My advice is no matter what you do, you must have a vision of where you want to go and what you want to achieve. Just talking about it wouldn't help," Leung said. But what is more important she said, is integrity.

"You've got to be honest with yourself and the others. Don't ever do things that are against your own principle," she said.

(HK Edition 03/07/2008 page4)