A Quick Chat with Rachel Chia, CEO of SDAX

How do you define leadership in a fast-evolving industry like Fintech?

Leadership in fintech is about fostering an environment where innovation thrives amidst uncertainty. At SDAX, I define leadership as the ability to balance strategic vision with tactical agility.

The fintech landscape evolves at an unprecedented pace – what worked yesterday may be obsolete tomorrow. True leadership, therefore, requires establishing a clear north star to guide your team while remaining flexible enough to pivot when necessary. It is about cultivating a culture that equally values calculated risk-taking and responsible governance.

I believe effective fintech leaders must embody three critical qualities:

1. Technological Curiosity: A deep understanding of today’s solutions coupled with the foresight to anticipate tomorrow’s possibilities.
2. Regulatory Foresight: The ability to navigate complex compliance landscapes while continuing to drive innovation.
3. Collaborative Intelligence: The recognition that the best solutions emerge when diverse perspectives converge.

At SDAX, we operate at the intersection of traditional finance and cutting-edge technology. This demands a leadership approach that respects established financial principles while embracing technological disruption. I have found that the most successful initiatives arise when we assemble cross-functional teams that blend technological expertise with deep financial acumen.

Leadership in fintech also means making difficult decisions with incomplete information. In an industry where waiting for perfect clarity often results in missed opportunities, I have learned to trust data, along with intuitions and instincts honed by my experience.

Ultimately, leadership in fintech is about building resilient organisations capable of thriving amid constant change. It is about creating an environment where team members feel empowered to experiment, where failure is viewed as a stepping stone to growth, and where everyone understands that our collective mission extends beyond quarterly results. Together, we are reshaping the future of finance for generations to come.

What’s the most pivotal moment in your career in Fintech so far?

The most pivotal moment in my fintech journey was not one of triumph or groundbreaking success, but rather a difficult decision to step away from a blockchain project I had co-founded and dedicated months of effort to building. I chose to leave because I realised that the other founders and I had reached a fundamental misalignment in our values and ethical standards – a divergence that made it untenable for me to continue with a clear conscience.

It was a heartbreaking decision to walk away from the time, energy, and passion invested in the project, not because the venture had failed, but because I could not compromise on my personal values and professional ethics. That moment was a defining one for me, as it reinforced the importance of staying true to one’s principles, even in the face of significant personal and professional sacrifice.

This experience taught me a critical lesson: while fintech startups must operate with agility and adaptability compared to traditional financial institutions, this should never come at the expense of integrity, regulatory compliance, professionalism, or client-centricity. It shaped my vision of the kind of organisation I want to be part of, and ultimately, the kind of company I aspire to lead. It underscored the importance of building a team and culture rooted in values that prioritise sustainability, trust, and long-term impact over short-term gains.

In hindsight, that decision became a cornerstone of my leadership philosophy. It clarified the non-negotiable principles that guide my approach to fintech innovation and reinforced my belief that true success is built on a foundation of ethical integrity and unwavering commitment to doing what is right.

What motivates you to keep pushing the boundaries?

Curiosity is my driving force. Every day, I ask myself: What can we become? How far can we go? What’s next? I am driven by the desire to explore what lies ahead for SDAX and how I can bring our team, clients, and stakeholders along on this journey. I am motivated by the question: How can SDAX change the world?

At the heart of SDAX’s mission is the democratisation of finance in private markets. We want to empower everyone with access to private market investment opportunities that were previously only available to the ultra-rich or large institutions. This is not an unattainable goal; it is a vision we are actively working to realise, and I am inspired by the potential to extend these opportunities to as many people as possible. What truly drives me to push boundaries is the profound gap between what financial systems currently deliver and what they could potentially achieve. I am motivated by the millions of individuals who lack access to private markets, the inefficiencies that plague existing systems, and the transformative potential of democratised finance.

While technology has revolutionised nearly every aspect of our lives, financial infrastructure has remained stagnant for decades. This disconnect represents both a challenge and an extraordinary opportunity. At SDAX, we are not merely making incremental improvements – we are reimagining the financial ecosystem from first principles.

I find deep motivation in creating tangible impact. For example, when individuals invest in our tokenised private credit commercial paper products, they gain the ability to make their hard-earned savings work more efficiently for them. This is a concrete, human benefit – fintech at its best is not about technology for its own sake, but about creating meaningful economic opportunities for people.

The intellectual challenge of my work is equally motivating. SDAX operates at a fascinating intersection of blockchain and tokenisation, product structuring, marketing, financial product distribution, and regulatory policy. Every day presents complex, multidimensional problems that require innovative thinking and cross-disciplinary collaboration. This constant engagement – synthesizing insights across disciplines – creates a perpetual state of growth that I find deeply fulfilling.

Perhaps most fundamentally, I am motivated by the knowledge that we are still in the early chapters of real-world asset tokenisation. The systems we are building today will likely serve as the infrastructure for decades to come. This historical responsibility – to lay the right foundations, to build with integrity and foresight – provides a sense of purpose that transcends quarterly results or market valuations. We are not just building products; we are helping to shape the future of economic exchange.

How do you see the role of women evolving in finance over the next decade?

The next decade will mark a definitive transition from women seeking representation in finance to women actively reshaping its fundamental structures. This evolution extends far beyond achieving numerical parity – it is about transforming how financial services are conceptualised, delivered, and experienced.

Women are increasingly occupying critical roles at the intersection of finance and technology, precisely where the future of the industry is being shaped. This strategic positioning means women are not just participating in established systems but are architecting entirely new ones. At SDAX, I have witnessed how diverse leadership teams naturally incorporate broader perspectives into product development, resulting in more inclusive and innovative financial solutions.

The data supports this trajectory. Research consistently shows that financial firms with gender-diverse leadership outperform their less diverse counterparts. As this performance advantage becomes increasingly evident, market forces will accelerate the advancement of women into decision-making roles across the industry.

Importantly, the next wave of financial transformation will be characterizesed by empathy-driven innovation. The industry is moving beyond purely transactional relationships toward more holistic approaches that address customers’ broader financial well-being. This shift aligns naturally with collaborative leadership styles, that have historically been undervalued but are now recognised as essential for developing customer-centric financial services.

We are also witnessing the emergence of powerful networks specifically designed to propel women in finance. These are not traditional mentorship programs but sophisticated ecosystems that combine capital, expertise, and opportunities. These networks are creating alternative pathways to leadership, enabling women to bypass historical barriers and achieve influence at an accelerated pace.

Technology is simultaneously democratising financial expertise, creating unprecedented opportunities for women entrepreneurs to develop specialised platforms. The explosive growth of fintech solutions focused on underserved markets – many led by women founders who recognised overlooked needs – demonstrates how diversity drives market expansion and innovation.

The most profound change, pehaps, will be the redefinition of financial leadership itself. As the industry evolves from hierarchical models toward collaborative, purpose-driven approaches, qualities that were once sidelined – such as empathy, inclusivity, and adaptability – are becoming central to success. This shift creates natural openings for diverse leadership styles to flourish, paving the way for women to lead not just in numbers but in influence and impact.

In the coming decade, women will not only shape the future of finance but also redefine what it means to lead in this dynamic and ever-evolving industry.

What’s one piece of advice you’d give women breaking into fintech?

Cultivate technical fluency while leveraging your unique perspective – this combination is your most powerful differentiator in fintech today. The industry doesn’t need conformists, it needs integrators and innovators who can bridge domains, identify overlooked problems, and envision innovative solutions.

Technical knowledge is non-negotiable. You don’t need to become a developer, but you must understand the capabilities, limitations, and implications of the technologies reshaping finance. Invest time in learning blockchain fundamentals, API architecture, or data analytics – even basic proficiency will dramatically enhance your credibility and effectiveness. This knowledge transforms you from someone who relies on technical teams to someone who can collaborate with them as an equal partner.

Equally important is recognising the value of your distinct viewpoint. The most significant opportunities in fintech often exist at overlooked intersections – poblems that have not been prioritised, user experiences that have not been optimised, or markets that have not been served. Your background, whether in anthropology, healthcare, retail, or another field, provides pattern recognition and insights that others may lack. This perspective is not secondary to technical skills – it is a primary source of innovation.

Be strategic about positioning yourself. Identify spaces where the industry clearly lacks representation and where your unique combination of skills addresses a specific need. The most successful women in fintech have not tried to conform to existing roles but have instead defined new ones that leverage their unique capabilities.

Build a multidimensional network that includes both technical and financial professionals. The most valuable opportunities often emerge from cross-disciplinary conversations. Cultivate relationships with potential champions – individuals who can amplify your contributions in rooms where decisions are made. Finally, approach fintech with radical confidence. The industry’s greatest advantage is its openness to reinvention. Its greatest weakness, however, is its blind spots in understanding diverse user needs.

Remember that your presence is not just about personal achievement – it is about expanding the industry’s capacity to deliver financial solutions that work for everyone. The questions you ask and the problems you prioritise will help shape a more inclusive and equitable financial future.