He decided on brokerage career at age 7 after watching HK drama

TV series about securities industry lured him with its images of 'pit' trading

- Sue-Ann Tan

When Mr Ian Leong was a child, his mother had hoped that he would become a teacher, like she was. His father wanted him to be a doctor or lawyer - the two career paths that many Singaporean parents typically want their children to take.

But when he was seven or eight years old, Mr Leong came across a Hong Kong drama series about the securities industry and told himself that that was where he wanted to be.

The show was The Greed Of Man, starring Adam Cheng and Sean Lau Ching-wan. It won over the young boy with its depictions of many people in a "pit", shouting and using hand signals to communicate with one another, buying and selling shares.

"It was the first time I saw the 'open outcry' system on a trading floor in a stock exchange, and it was an eye-opener for me," said Mr Leong, now 39.

He is the chief executive of Tiger Brokers (Singapore), a trading platform that uses technology to automate processes, making them more efficient and reaping cost savings for clients.

"To make sure I was well equipped to join this industry, I made sure my degree was economics-based, and the plan was to be a remisier or trading representative, just like (the characters in) the TVB (the Hong Kong television network) drama," said Mr Leong, who studied economics and management under the University of London programme at the Singapore Institute of Management.

He worked methodically to achieve his finance industry dreams. "I asked myself: Apart from having the right academic background, what other skill sets do I need to give me an edge in this profession?"

So he joined DBS Bank's contact centre to hone his communication skills and learn how to serve clients effectively.