James Chuacambridge-iflp Alumni- Deputy Head Of Treasury &Amp; Global Markets At Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (Bibd)
James Chua is a seasoned banker well known in the Brunei space with almost 20 years of experience in the Treasury & Global Markets space as well as finance. He currently holds the post of Deputy Head of Treasury & Global Markets at Bank Islam Brunei Darussalam (BIBD), the country’s flagship Islamic financial institution. Prior to joining BIBD, he worked at Citibank as VP and Head of Global Markets as well as the various other senior roles in finance. James is a recipient of the Queen Elizabeth II Chevening Scholarship. He holds a Degree in Computing from the University of Manchester and a Masters in International Banking from Loughborough University, UK where he studied under the supervision of Professor Humayon Dar.
What was your earliest ambition?
My earliest ambition in life was to be an IT geek. This was back in the late 1980s. I wasn’t so fortunate to have a PC at that time in our home so I was adamant to homing my skills to be the best at computers.
What are you passionate about?
I think my current passion is my eagerness to develop further my knowledge and understanding of the financial markets. It’s the first thing I check on when I wake up and the last thing I read before I go to sleep. Another passion of mine which I hope to embark on in the near future, is to create a greater awareness of financial literacy in our community. I believe a community that has a greater knowledge of this would ultimately benefit the country at large.
Who has been your greatest mentor?
My late father has been my greatest mentor in life. He taught me responsibility and the importance of living a life of integrity and simplicity. Through the life that he led, he also showed me the qualities needed to be a good father and husband.
What is the proudest moment in your career?
I think the proudest moment of my career was when BIBD sent me on the Cambridge Islamic Finance Leadership Programme at Clare College, Cambridge back in 2016. The opportunity to interact with current and future leaders in the field of Islamic Finance has proved invaluable to me.
What do you do when you are not working?
Apart from spending time with my wife and children, I try to read as much as possible. The most recent books I’m reading are the memoirs of Robert Kuok and Tun Dr Mahathir, the recently re-elected Prime Minister of Malaysia.
What has the most satisfying moment in your life been?
The day I got married to my wife, Christina.
In one word, describe yourself.
Reliable.
What is your favorite quote and why?
There are many good quotes out there but none that I particularly live by.
If you could go back and give your 21-year old self a valuable piece of advice, what would you say?
I would tell my 21-year old self to start saving more and investing back then. 20 years on, it’s still not too late, though that 20 year head start would have undoubtedly been invaluable.
What is your leadership philosophy?
To lead simply by example through a servant leadership philosophy. It was reassuring to hear that several CEOs and leaders seem to adopt a similar philosophy from the Cambridge IFLP programme.
What drives you in your professional life?
The need to excel and build the best Islamic treasury team in this part of the world.
If you could meet a famous person/leader/ celebrity, who would it be and why?
I believe President Xi Jinping of the People’s Republic of China is one of the most influential global leaders today and will continue to be for the years to come. I would like to meet him to better understand his character and personality as his vision for China in the coming decades will become all the more important.
If you retired tomorrow and wanted to start a different second career, what would you do?
I would probably become an academic. It seems to be a hidden passion of mine to want to teach and share whatever limited knowledge that I have with others. The short stint at Cambridge University certainly rekindled that desire to go back and study or teach.
