My life’s aim is to build global brands that answer the “why” – why we are serving the community, the teams we hire and the customers. I focus on scaling businesses through digital growth and performance, commercial strategies, sales optimisation, product development and optimisation, interpersonal relationships and high-functioning teams. I believe we should always strive to be excellent and rewrite the old playbooks.
I am fixated on constant reinventions, peak performance and optimal efficiency. I am passionate about finance and technology and their abilities to impact lives at scale.
Anna Haotanto is the Managing Partner & COO of ABZD Capital and the Managing Director & CMO of Gourmet Food Holdings, an investment firm focusing on opportunities in the global F&B industry. She is also the founder (former CEO) of The New Savvy – Asia’s leading financial, investments and career platform for women.
Anna is part of the founding committee of the Singapore FinTech Association and was in charge of the Women In FinTech and Partnership Committee. Anna is the President of the Singapore Management University Women Alumni & on the board of SMU Alumni Philantrophy Council. Anna is also part of the Singapore Chinese Chamber of Commerce & Industry Career Women’s Group executive committee. Anna invests and sits on the board of a few startups.
Anna’s story is featured on Millionaire Minds on Channel NewsAsia. She hosts TV shows and events, namely for Channel NewsAsia’s “The Millennial Investor” and “Challenge Tomorrow”, a FinTech documentary.
Anna was awarded “Her Times Youth Award” at the Rising50 Women Empowerment Gala, organised by the Indonesian Embassy of Singapore. The award was presented by His Excellency Ngurah Swajaya. She was also awarded Founder of the Year for ASEAN Rice Bowl Startup Awards. She was also awarded the Women Empowerment Award by the Asian Business & Social Forum.
Anna has been awarded LinkedIn Power Profiles for founders (2018, 2017), Tatler Gen T, The Peak’s Trailblazers under 40 and a nominee for the Women of The Future award by Aviva. She was nominated and selected for FORTUNE Most Powerful Women conference in 2016 (Asia) and 2015 (San Francisco, Next Gen). Anna is on the panel for Singapore Computer Society for Best Tech Company to work for and Digital Proficiency Program.
Anna conducts workshops on personal finance and had given talks on finance, women issues and empowerment for organisations. Anna is involved in various charities supporting women and children causes. She was one of the main donors in the building of a library for underprivileged female students.
THE NEW SAVVY
Anna founded The New Savvy, whose bold vision is to empower women to achieve financial happiness. The New Savvy delivers high-quality content through an e-learning platform, media and conferences. Our female communities are in Singapore, Hongkong and Vietnam.
The New Savvy has 60,000 email subscribers and has been featured in Forbes, CNBC, Business Insider, Reuters, Channel News Asia, R29, Fast Company, The Straits Times, Yahoo, The Peak among others.
PROFESSIONAL CAREER
Anna has 10 years of experience in the financial sector including wealth management, private equity, research as well as corporate and investment banking. She has held positions at Citigroup, United Overseas Bank, a regional role in Business Monitor and a boutique private equity firm based in Shanghai.
Anna is proficient in managing assets and providing advice to high net worth clients. Among the numerous awards Anna had received, she was the Top Offshore Senior Client Advisor for 2 years running, within just 3 years of entering the industry. She is proficient in English, Mandarin, Indonesia and Melayu.
EDUCATION
Anna was awarded Top Student (Salutatorian) for a year-long UOB-SMU Private Banking course. She completed the Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT) FinTech course, AXSI Digital Finance program (winning second in the Business Case competition). She is currently pursuing the SMU-SID Executive Certificate in Directorship Programme.
She graduated from Singapore Management University (Finance and Quantitative Finance), Hwa Chong Junior College. Anna spearheaded and founded the Women Alumni group at Singapore Management University. She held leadership roles – she was the founding member and Vice-President of the Quantitive Finance club, the Soccer Captain and the Vice-President of the Dance Society.
PERSONAL
Anna is an Americal Council of Exercise (ACE) certified Personal Trainer. She has deep interest in peak performance and optimal efficiency. She spends her spare time reading, exercising and trying to find solutions on healthspan and mental health.
I’m equal parts a rebel and a traditionalist. I love Buffett, Bezos and Musk; I spend a whole chunk of my time exploring their philosophies, leadership styles and ways they scaled their businesses.