“Magic is what you can expect when you welcome Tong into your world. Truly! Pure magic. Tong first joined my team as an intern when he was 19 & an Actuarial Bachelor's student, so I was expecting numbers & sharp analytical skills. But it quickly became clear that was just the surface & we'd been incredibly lucky to find Tong. His ability to quickly synthesise complex information & analytical brain were great boons. But what was less expected, was how his deep humanity, big ideas & high EQ would combine to make him a triple threat. Tong left us to study in Scotland, fitting in trips to close to 20 nearby countries on the weekend which I love because it perfectly illustrates his relentless curiosity, appetite for growth, & desire to understand people, systems & the world. He returned to Macquarie where he gnawed his teeth on complex financial engineering challenges in a gun team, before succumbing to the lure of the world once again. I deeply respect Tong's commitment to growth which is reflected in his decision to travel & immerse himself in international startup ecosystems, gaining connections & insights that he put to good use when he returned to the StartMate community. So, imagine my delight when 5 years after he started his first role with us, he returned to Super Fierce when we needed him most! Over the last year, I have enjoyed seeing Tong embrace his love of the startup world, his vision for a brighter future, & passion for product to become an integral member of our team. His empathy for the customer & affinity for the tech side of the product team has been incredibly powerful. I have zero doubt that one day Tong will found a brilliant, successful business of his own - I am putting in dibs on being his first investor! In the meantime, the community will continue to benefit from his keen intellect, willing heart & enormous smile. And I am certain that great success lies ahead for everyone who has the good fortune to work with this incredible young man.”
About
Excited about the creator economy, AI benchmarking across modalities, and designing digital experiences!
The road to now:
• Building product, algorithms, and performance benchmarks at Super Fierce (saved users A$262m in super fees by retirement and donated A$21k to women in need)
• Leading a Squad for Startmate's inaugural Product Management program (won 2022 Startmate Hackathon)
• Data-driven strategies in Global Markets at Macquarie Group (3x A$140-200m securitisation and debt structuring transactions closed)
• Interviewing Olympic medallists and world record holders as a World Athletics Media Team News Service Manager
Outside of work, I'm a PADI open water diver, martial artist, and art lover with memberships at MCA, MoMA NYC, and Art Gallery of NSW. I hold a boat licence from working and volunteering across Sailability, Sydney Heritage Fleet, and local marinas, and still read fiction, write code, and do maths for fun (yes, fun).
Although kaleidoscopic, I am grateful for life's challenges as a 1.5th-gen immigrant, and the child being moved through five primary schools is now an optimistic and creative builder making his mark on the world - one note, pixel, and letter at a time.
Thank you for staying with me - I am well, and I hope you are too.
Experience
Education
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Grade: 86 and 81 WAM; both graduated with Distinctions
Achieved all Actuaries Institute (FIAA) Foundation Program exemptions
• Financial Management Association of Australia - Sponsorship Director
• Actuarial Society - Peer Mentor, Camp Leader, and Social Subcommittee Team
• 180 Degrees Consulting
• ARC Student Life Yellow Shirts Volunteer
• UNSW Campus Runners
• Business Society - Camp Leader -
Grade: First Class Honours Equivalent
• 180 Degrees Consulting - Inaugural Team
• Edinburgh University Consulting Club
• International and Exchange Student Society
Completed 24UOC of third year Statistics, Economics, and Behavioural Finance courses as a second year student which allowed me to pursue industry experience later
Flew out as a self-funded teen and returned a lifetime of memories richer after spending time in 16 countries -
ATAR: 99.40
• Prefect; SRC Treasurer & Executive Team; Sports House Vice-Captain; Peer Support Leader
• NSBA Basketball U18s Division One Champion; Coach for U16s Champion
• Division One Volleyball Best & Fairest Award
• Crawford Shield Interstate Sports Exchange Team
• Half Blue Awards for Achievement and Commitment in Volleyball and Cross-Country
• Sydney North Regional Cross-country and Zone Athletics
• Musicale and Creative & Performing Arts Expo…ATAR: 99.40
• Prefect; SRC Treasurer & Executive Team; Sports House Vice-Captain; Peer Support Leader
• NSBA Basketball U18s Division One Champion; Coach for U16s Champion
• Division One Volleyball Best & Fairest Award
• Crawford Shield Interstate Sports Exchange Team
• Half Blue Awards for Achievement and Commitment in Volleyball and Cross-Country
• Sydney North Regional Cross-country and Zone Athletics
• Musicale and Creative & Performing Arts Expo performer
• NSGB Vocal Ensemble, NSGB Musical
Licenses & Certifications
Volunteer Experience
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Media Team - Flash Quotes & News Service Manager
World Athletics
- 1 month
Media team for the World Athletics Cross Country Championships
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Sponsorship Director
Financial Management Association of Australia (FMAA)
- 3 years 10 months
Previous: Subcommittee
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Consultant
180 Degrees Consulting
- 1 year 5 months
University of Edinburgh - Inaugural Consulting Team
UNSW - Talent Development Program -
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Court Assistant
Volleyball Australia
- 1 month
Social Services
Court assistant for the Beach Volleyball World Championships
Honors & Awards
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HSC All-Round Achiever
NSW
For achieving the top performance band in Advanced English, Extension 1 Mathematics, Extension 2 Mathematics, Chemistry, Latin, and Latin Extension
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HSC Distinguished Achiever
NSW
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Principal's Gold Award for School Merit
Principal
Languages
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English
Native or bilingual proficiency
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Chinese
Native or bilingual proficiency
Recommendations received
2 people have recommended Tong
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