Donna pipped high calibre competitors to secure the Alumni Award for Banking and Finance. The award recognises alumni who have excelled in a wide variety of financial areas, including accounting, investment, banking and financial planning.

The Australia China Alumni Awards, established in 2009 by the Australia China Alumni Association, is a high-profile initiative recognising the wide-ranging achievements of graduates of Australian universities that are currently based in China, both local and expatriate.

Based in Hong Kong, Donna is currently the Chief Operating Officer and Alternate Chief Executive of Deutsche Bank Aktiengesellschaft.

Donna has remained an actively engaged alumnus, delivering a memorable address to graduating international students in 2018. and she retains strong memories of her time at Murdoch.

“My most memorable moments on campus were the direct access to tutors and lecturers to discuss any topic.  The dedication and support of tutors to guide us through new assignments and prepare for exams was something I truly valued.  Also, the diversity of overseas students on campus.  I still keep in touch with some of them and have built a fantastic, cross-cultural network over the years,” she said.

In her tenure with Deutsche Bank, she has served in Malaysia, Singapore and is currently in Hong Kong SAR with over 1,200 staff.  She is responsible for the development of the Hong Kong franchise, oversight of infrastructure controls and governance framework. Donna is a keen advocate for gender diversity, promotes an inclusive workforce and provides coaching for new graduates.

She is very passionate about environment sustainability and social community activities, and is actively involved in Deutsche Bank Asia Foundation’s initiatives under its ‘Born to Be’ and ‘Made for Good’ programmes in Hong Kong.  

The award win capped off a memorable year for Donna.

“To be very honest, I did not expect to win the award.  It was indeed a great honour and very humbling moment, as all the finalists were equally talented and outstanding individuals. The recognition by others of one’s achievement is priceless.”