An internship at the New York headquarters of American Express (Amex) in 2000 helped Walter Liu identify his career path. Over the past 10 years, the 32-year-old has moved from manager and director positions in New York to the company's offices in Singapore. He is now vice-president and chief credit officer, Greater China, for consumer and small business services risk management at Amex International in Hong Kong.
How did you get into financial services after completing your master's degree in industrial operations engineering at the University of Michigan?
My programme was linked to both the engineering and business school, and that was how I drew the link between business and engineering. I interned at Amex in New York one summer, and enjoyed working there because of the people and the culture. I got a job in the new accounts underwriting division after my graduation in 2001.
How did you end up in Singapore?
I always wanted to gain working experience internationally. I discussed this aspiration with my leader and mentor and he supported me. Amex foresaw huge growth potential in Asia and was identifying talents in the United States to help develop its global business. Six months later I was offered a job at Amex in Singapore.
The business needs in Asia drove me to launch 30 new products in two years. The new products were primarily credit cards and loan businesses. It was an exciting time in Asia as the culture and mindset of risk management was not as prominent.