The corporate Hong Kong high-flier who crashed to earth but found a more meaningful role
Lily Chan was her firm’s rising star until bipolar disorder transformed her life. Now she’s found peace and helps others struggling with the condition
At the age of 29, Lily Chan Lei-hung was a strong and fearless “superwoman” in a multinational company. She was so successful that she never believed anything could beat her down.
Chan was a rising star in her firm, flying around the world for business, working long hours and clocking overnight shifts.
“I used to enjoy being a successful woman and was very proud of my CV,” Chan said.
But she gradually developed sleeping problems. Her mood would swing from high moments of grandeur when meeting clients to deeply depressed lows when she was alone in her hotel room.
At one point she collapsed after a hyperactive 30-day stretch without sleep.