Meet Amelia, with more than two decades of experience leading technology risk, banking operations, and regional rollouts at Citibank and KPMG. Combining her early passion for teaching with vast experience in financial services, she now helms AgilenLite, a digital skilling and consulting firm designed to be nimble, impactful, and purpose-driven.

Her journey is one of deep-rooted values, constant reinvention, and a desire to help institutions and individuals thrive in a tech-enabled world. Today, Amelia plays an active role in strengthening cybersecurity literacy across ASEAN, advocates for human-centred learning approaches, and provides strategic consulting to SMEs.

You spent more than 25 years in banking, including roles in technology risk management at Citibank and KPMG. What were the early lessons from that period that shaped the leader and educator you are today?

I began my career as a teacher before joining KPMG, where I spent eight years developing banking applications. This gave me a solid foundation in banking products, programming, and infrastructure.

At Citibank, I spent six years in the regional training centre, conducting FX and money market risk training across Asia and beyond. When the centre moved to the Philippines, I transitioned to banking operations and led an internet platform rollout across 17 Asian countries, managing everything from requirements to support, tailored to local needs.

Over 25 years at Citibank, I took on diverse roles: setting up the Electronic Banking University in Asia region, managing risk and controls, overseeing vendor management, and leading global tech projects. These experiences shaped my leadership, adaptability, and passion for education.

What inspired you to step out of corporate banking and start AgilenLite? What gap do you see in the market regarding digital skills and cybersecurity training?

I began my career as a teacher, and that passion for education never left me. Even during my time at Citibank, I was frequently involved in training and knew I would eventually return to my roots.

At Citibank, I saw how many organisations were behind in tech and operations. With support from my department head, I left to focus on training underserved individuals, hoping some might even find jobs at Citi.

After some initial setbacks with outreach, I was unexpectedly offered a chance to lead SMU’s Financial IT Academy. They had struggled to launch an IBF-accredited programme and were about to shut the unit down.

I stepped in and, over three years, successfully rolled out that programme, training IT professionals in financial services. I also addressed a major gap which is the vendors’ lack of awareness of MAS’s TRM guidelines by creating targeted training.

By 2017, I wanted more autonomy to realise my vision. So I founded AgilenLite, focused on delivering critical training quickly and without corporate delays.

You play an active role in the ASEAN Cybersecurity Skilling Programme. What has been the most memorable or meaningful experience from training youth, students, and volunteers in cybersecurity?

This programme, organised by Microsoft and the ASEAN Foundation, caught my attention because it aligned perfectly with my desire to give back. Though I usually train corporate professionals, this was an opportunity to work with upper secondary students.

I focused on online scams, which are highly relevant to youth today. To make the training engaging, I worked with a developer to create a mobile simulation game that mimics real-life scam scenarios. The students learned by playing, and the interactive format made the lessons far more impactful.

Seeing their excitement and watching them absorb the information in such a hands-on way was very fulfilling. It reminded me that education doesn’t have to be formal to be meaningful. Whether it’s corporate leaders or teenagers, the right tools and methods can make a lasting difference.

In Singapore, scammers mimic official announcements almost instantly. With AI, identity is even harder to verify. Someone may appear real but be an avatar. As tech advances, multi-channel verification is becoming essential. That’s the shift we must prepare for.

Money laundering methods are becoming increasingly sophisticated. What emerging trends worry you the most, and how should financial institutions evolve to stay ahead?

In my Connecting the Dots video series, I explored cybersecurity, anti-money laundering, and fraud risk. A key insight is that money laundering rarely stands alone. It’s usually the endgame of a financially motivated crime, excluding political motives.

Criminals often start with scams, ransomware, or cyberattacks to extract money. The challenge then becomes moving these illicit gains into the legal system. That’s the core of money laundering, turning dirty money into clean funds through regulated entities like financial institutions.

Fraud follows the same pattern: commit the crime, then legitimise the money. What’s worrying is how fast digitalisation has accelerated this. Many adopt new tech without grasping the risks. We can’t undo progress, but we must be ready for the threats.

In Singapore, scammers mimic official announcements almost instantly. With AI, identity is even harder to verify. Someone may appear real but be an avatar. As tech advances, multi-channel verification is becoming essential. That’s the shift we must prepare for.

You emphasise human-centred learning. How is this different from traditional corporate training, and why is it especially important in the digital age?

I believe the best learning happens when you put the individual in the driver’s seat. I always try to make training as realistic and relevant as possible. Even if I’m delivering the same programme, I update the content to reflect the latest developments and use those as discussion points.

Whenever I can, I incorporate simulations to make the learning immersive. In today’s world, traditional classroom-style delivery, where information is simply downloaded to participants, no longer works. Learners need to feel, experience, and engage with the content in real time.

What do you think makes a good entrepreneur?

First, I don’t consider myself a great entrepreneur, but I can share what I think defines a good one. Passion is essential. Without it, you’re just chasing money, which isn’t sustainable. Passion needs to be paired with vision. You need to know why you’re in business.

Then comes your network. You need people who can support and amplify your journey. I’m also a strong advocate for talent management. We no longer live in a time where being knowledgeable or experienced alone is enough.

You must be committed to lifelong learning and be adaptable to changing expectations. In my case, after spending years in training, I’m now moving more into consulting.

What’s your vision for Singapore in the next five years?

Our government is placing greater emphasis on entrepreneurship. Like it or not, the rise of AI has fundamentally changed how people learn. In the future, we’ll need to focus on “learning how to learn.” That will be the next wave in education.

A single degree or a master’s isn’t enough anymore. Technology is evolving so quickly that education must shift. I foresee a greater focus on practical, hands-on learning—less theory, more on-the-job exposure.

In today’s world, it’s no longer acceptable to say, “I’m good in finance; I don’t need to know anything else.” We need cross-disciplinary thinkers who are open, agile, and willing to grow.

If you could have a superpower for one day, what would it be and why?

For me, the superpower would be experiential. Just dive in, try things, and see where it leads. You won’t know your capabilities until you put your heart and mind into it.

When I moved from teaching to KPMG, I found myself deep in tech—developing programmes, speaking with banking professionals, working on mainframes. I never imagined I could do that, but I surprised myself. Often, the real limitation is our own belief.

Connect with Amelia: AgilenLite and LinkedIn.