International Alumni
Featured Volunteer Leader – Edward Pang
Edward Pang, ’97, makes an effort to spend every New Year’s Eve with his Husky family in Singapore.
“Whenever we get together, we always talk about the college years. Our spouses have heard the same stories umpteen times and cannot believe that we can repeat them like a broken record. They are probably irritated by the constant repetition, except maybe for my wife, who happens to be a Husky as well!” This may explain why Edward became president of the UW Alumni Singapore Chapter.
When he first returned to Singapore after 13 years in Seattle, he contacted the UW Alumni Association and got more involved with alumni gatherings and activities. “Meeting up with fellow alums is like second nature for me. I am proud to be a Husky and Seattle is my ‘other’ home. I have friends and ex-colleagues in Seattle, whom I try to visit every few years.”
“When I was in college,” Edward says, “we had a small group of around 13 (Singaporeans, Malaysians and Thais) who would get together frequently. Over the last 20 years, with marriages and children, our ‘family’ has expanded to almost 40. Apart from a few living in the US and Thailand, most of us are now living in Singapore.”
Edward has worked in asset management and investment advisory for 20 years. In 2017, he joined Covenant Capital in Singapore. As Senior Vice President and Relationship Manager, he handles the assets of high net worth individuals, family offices and institutions. Over the years, his clients have included Fortune 500 executives, philanthropists, charitable and non-profit foundations, as well as regional insurers and asset management companies.
He began his career in wealth management in Seattle in 1997, with Smith Barney as a portfolio management associate, where he and his team managed in excess of US$400 million for individuals and institutions. In 2001, Edward moved to Laird Norton Trust Company, where he advised family clients of the Laird Norton family office, as well as foundations and private wealth clients, on their investment mandates. He also served as the Telecommunication and Information Technology Services analyst for Laird subsidiary Wentworth, Hauser and Violich.
Subsequently, in 2006, Edward returned to Singapore and rejoined Citi Smith Barney as a financial advisor. Over a period of ten years, Edward managed discretionary mandates and advised both private and institutional clients around the region. He then became a Director at Havenport Advisors, the private wealth division of Havenport Asset Management before moving to his current position.
Along the way, Edward earned an MBA from Imperial College, University of London. He is also “an avid sportsman,” playing and mentoring students at the Oldham Water Polo Club and volunteering at Singapore Water Polo.
Edward has his finger on the pulse of UW alums in his area. “Singapore was one of the test countries for the Student Send-Offs. It is a wonderful event that I feel is immensely beneficial to new students. I wish I had that opportunity when I was preparing to start school at the UW.” He believes that alumni play a crucial role even though technology and the internet now allow students to get a sense of life in college and in Seattle. “Besides working with the SSA on imparting information to students, what alumni bring is a connection between current students and incoming students and, equally important, to the many parents that attend these sessions.”
