She started out as a salesgirl at the age of 18, but now she is 35, a CEO and has a total of 20million Singaporean dollars in assets.
“I was 18 years old, learning investment. Back then I have no money, only $1000 to buy Australian dollars, and earned several hundred dollars. I understood that by working on a job alone is hard to get rich, and I hope to give my parents a better life”.
Now, the CEO of her own company, Lusi Group, Lusi Lim said that her family was not rich, and she knew that she had to work hard to make money. She understood the concept of investment required some capital.
After obtaining a bachelor’s degree in finance and accounting for the University College of London, she found a job at a prestigious accounting firm and in just two years, she was promoted four times, taking home a monthly salary of $17,000 (RM40,000).
After spending four years in London, Lusi decided to return to Singapore to take better care of her parents. She joined a multi-national land investment company, starting at the lowest level of sales staff. However, her employers say potential in her, and with the trust of her colleagues, she was promoted up to nine times in the course of eight years, eventually becoming the company’s Singaporean chief operating officer.
Lusi shared that her life wasn’t as extravagant. She came from humble background, too. She was born in a small fishing village in Indonesia. At the age of 15, she was sent to Singapore to study. Her longing to return home drove her to save up money through giving tuition and saving up her money. She went through a lot of hardship – relying on a part-time job to earn a living and to pay her tuition fees. She would only sleep up to four hours a day, and even relief on a load of bread for a week.
Inspired to help others, Lusi is actively involved in charitable activities to help building schools in Indonesia. “Maybe because I’m poor, I am well aware of the importance of education, and very passionate in this field”, said Lusi.
Lusi’s story is certainly one to inspire us that no matter who we are, or whatever our background is, it should never come in between our struggle to succeed in what we aim to achieve. Well done, Lusi!
