LEAP Alumni Spotlights: Huy Doan
“LEAP helped… unlock my existing potential and raise my awareness of what I needed to do to become a successful leader. This gave me the confidence to begin my mission to change the game.”
Huy Doan serves as Toyota Financial Services’ Operational Excellence Consultant. At the age of 5, his family immigrated from Vietnam to Atlanta, Georgia where he completed his education. Now residing in Dallas, Texas, Huy enrolled in LEAP Pathways’ October 2022 cohort, aimed to develop and enhance leadership skills in business for Asian and Pacific Islanders talent.
When asked to participate in LEAP’s Alumni Spotlight, Huy enthusiastically stated, “LEAP has raised my awareness of how I can leverage my strengths and cultural values to lead with authenticity.”
Similar to many APIs, Huy experienced challenges finding balance between his culture and values and how leadership has been defined in the workplace. These experiences have fueled Huy to make a change.
“Throughout my career, I’ve taken a lot of pride in keeping my head down and working diligently to deliver amazing business results for The Company because that’s the way I was raised as an immigrant from Vietnam. I mean, the results will speak for themselves, right? Well... yes and no. Just because you perform well doesn’t necessarily translate into a reservation at the Executive Roundtable. I’ve set out on a mission to redefine what a leader looks like in Corporate America and do more for minority groups who are underrepresented in Executive leadership boards and committees.”
LEAP Pathways is a 6-day virtual program designed for companies seeking to increase the success of their Asian and Pacific Islander (API) high potential talent to lead effectively and advance in their careers. The program explores different ways of thinking about leadership, facilitating a greater embrace of their API culture and values, and honing each participant’s unique style through a mix of experiential learning, individualized professional coaching, and discussions with peers and experienced corporate leaders. Pathways positions staff to meet the growing challenges of our times in transformative ways. Upon completing LEAP Pathways, Huy shared:
“If you’re an aspiring API professional and are looking for ways to grow as a leader, build lasting relationships and ally -ships, while not sacrificing your personal and cultural values, I highly recommend LEAP. I believe that we all strive for a sense of belonging in society and sometimes it can be difficult when you look, speak, and think differently than your colleagues. LEAP has given me the confidence to claim my seat at the table of Corporate America and change the game for API professionals like me. “
Join Huy and many other API professionals in uncapping your talent today. Consider participating in many of LEAP’s programs including LEAP Pathways or make a donation to our organization so we can continue to provide programming to rising API leaders in our community.