Meet Carolyn Chin-Parry, a mentor with the Her World Mentorship Programme 2024

Being a woman in STEM (Science, Technology, Engineering and Mathematics) can often mean being the lone female voice in meetings, or the unintentional target of unconscious biases. For the second year of our Her World Mentorship Programme, we want to empower young women by providing them the tools, guidance, and support needed to break down these barriers and overcome limiting beliefs.

Nine exceptional mentors – each with a wealth of experience and expertise – tell us why they are passionate about giving back and share the wisdom they’ve gleaned throughout their careers. 

Meet Carolyn Chin-Parry, the digital innovation lead for PwC

The digital innovation leader for PwC is a firm believer in the power of upskilling and learning from challenges. She graduated from university during the 1997 Asian financial crisis, at a time when graduate roles were not easy to come by. Throughout her career, external factors threw challenges at her, but Carolyn persevered.

“It’s important to understand that notable milestones can only be accomplished by embracing challenges,” she muses. “In my case, it was foisted upon me at the start, but now I realise having good challenges – culturally, economically, technically etc – is an important part of any meaningful career and growth journey.”

In her current role, adaptability and flexibility are two of the most crucial skills. She says: “Innovation is an ongoing journey, much like transformation, where it is important to never rest on your laurels, and continuously seek new ways to add value to your firm and clients.

“Additionally, a large part of innovation cannot succeed in the absence of people skills. This is because even the best ideas or best technology can fail without securing stakeholder buy-in, making it essential to build rapport and trust with colleagues, clients and other key stakeholders.”

What are the challenges faced by women in STEM?

There is limited visibility of everyday female role models. While there may be big campaigns now and then to promote some female leaders as icons of change, it can still be challenging for women to thrive in the day-to-day micro environments that are traditionally male-dominated.

The pipeline leakage I observe from female STEM graduates entering the workforce, but pursuing non-STEM careers, may point to that. Also, very capable women sometimes lack sponsors who can champion their careers and recognise their contributions.

What other skills or qualities do you believe are essential for them to succeed?

Women need to persevere through the difficult times, learn from setbacks, and continue to push themselves forward – not just technically, but also in learning to deal with difficult people and situations by dovetailing hard skills with soft skills to navigate challenges, and gain stakeholder trust and buy-in.

How can one future-proof their career?

I prefer the term “future-readying” as it emphasises the need for one to never rest on the status quo, and always prepare for what lies ahead. Here are some things

I always encourage my own team to keep in mind:

• Embrace lifelong learning

• Cultivate flexibility and adaptability

• Be proactive about career planning

• Network, because I believe your network is your net worth!

PHOTOGRAPHY Veronica Tay

OFFICIAL BEAUTY PARTNER Cle de Peau Beaute

ART DIRECTION Ray Ticsay & Adeline Eng

STYLING Neo Lirong, assisted by Sabrina Kong

HAIR & MAKEUP Benedict Choo, Aung Apichai and Clayton Goo, all using Cle de Peau Beaute

LOCATION Mandala Club