'I Bet Myself'
By Kim Tae-gyu
Korea International Finance Institute CEO Kim Sang-kyung is well known as the female trailblazer who defied all the odds to break the glass ceiling for gender equality in the country’s financial industry.
She studied history at Sungkyunkwan University and gained her master’s in international finance at Sogang University.
When she began in the 1970s, female bankers rarely ventured into foreign banks preferring domestic banks instead. Even so, domestic bankers preferred hiring spinsters further narrowing the career prospects of female bankers. But Kim defied convention by opting for the Seoul branches of international banks such as Standard Chartered and American Express.
She started her banking career as a secretary and telex operator but thanks to her distinctive skills, soon rose to become the first female broker in the Korean foreign exchange market in the early 1980s, working for American Express.
``I changed my career in 1979 at the age of 32. As a mother of two daughters, it was not an easy choice,’’ she recollected in her best-selling book titled “I Bet Myself.”
Yet, she stood out through professional diligence and in no time became one of two candidates vying for the post of chief broker for the Seoul branch of American Express within two years of entering the industry.
``I competed with a male colleague but defeated him to become the chief broker in 1983. A female chief broker was so rare back then even in New York,’’ she said in a recent interview with the Business Focus.
Kim-the-broker kept on rolling and in the early 1990s, was believed to be one of the highest paid brokers in the country.
Her 1994 bestselling book “I Bet Myself” also made her an instant celebrity, with her fame stretching beyond the frontiers of banking and finance.
``I met many youngsters who decided to become brokers or bankers after reading my book,’’ she said.
Based on her expertise and experiences, she once taught international finance at Kyonggi University. She has in recent times committed herself to empowering aspiring female financial leaders in Asia’s fourth-largest economy, notorious for its glass ceiling, particularly in the financial industry. She leads the Korea Network of Women in Finance, the organization she founded.
Its current membership includes the leading female champions of the country’s financial industry, up from its initial membership strength of 30.
The organization runs several activities including inviting renowned speakers to address their meetings.
Included in the distinguished speakers or guests of the KNWF were KB Financial Group Chairman Euh Yoon-dae, former Prime Minister Chung Un-chan, Industrial Bank of Korea President Cho Jun-hee and former Strategy and Finance Minister Yoon Jeung-hyun.
Distinguished speakers for KNWF forums
