Victoria “Vicky” W Leung

for HAA Elected Director

AB 1991, Harvard College • MBA, New York University • President, Harvard Club of the United Kingdom • London, UK

Mission as HAA Elected Director

To serve, enrich and unite the Harvard community with my leadership and volunteering experience, international perspective, commitment to expanding access to education, advocacy for performing artists and their arts, and professional background in advisory and entrepreneurship.

Brief Bio

Your Vote Counts

Endorsements

I am a lifelong learner who champions expanded access to education and arts as the key to changing lives and serving the common good. Harvard is a life-long relationship. My first connection with Harvard was my admissions interview. Many years later, I experienced my “full circle” moment of becoming an alumna interviewer. Since then, I have been engaged with the global Harvard community in many roles. Recent events have created difficulties for Harvard. Still, I believe that Harvard is a beacon for the best and the brightest and is a force for good. I want to help the global Harvard community connect by identifying common interests and bridging differences.

Track record of serving the Harvard community

I am currently the President of The Harvard Club of the United Kingdom, the largest Harvard Club outside of the US and the sixth largest globally, after having served in different capacities.

Club achievements under my leadership

Increased membership by 25% to reach an all-time high.
Launched a new website, increased social media presence, and introduced club merchandise.
Sustainably and responsibly invested its charitable funds and raised new funds to support charities (e.g. first hospital in the UK to train women doctors; UK-based educational charity and research institute).
Broadened its range of events to well over 30 a year.
Hosted high-profile alumni, public personalities and experts in their fields.
Revitalised public services endeavours with new initiatives.
Launched Scotland Chapter.
Sustainably and responsibly invested its charitable funds and raised new funds to support charities (e.g. first hospital in the UK to train women doctors; UK-based educational charity and research institute).

With President Garber, HAA leaders and HCUK Board members in London

Past and current volunteer roles within HCUK

Ambassador for the UK alumni community

Attend HAA leadership conferences to connect with global Harvard clubs and SIGs.
Host Harvard faculty members and deans visiting the UK.
Nominate candidates for Harvard recognition programmes and leadership roles.
Collaborate with other US college alumni clubs, global Harvard clubs, and alumni clubs of Harvard graduate schools.

Events co-chair and chair

Curate varied events to cater to a wide range of interests and price points and to reflect our diverse membership base.
Secure external funding to make prestigious events more affordable and inclusive.

Alumni admissions interviewer

Advocate for candidates from diverse backgrounds.
Interview international applicants from many different countries and school systems (e.g. Lithuania, Zambia, Chile, Mongolia, Uzbekistan, Sweden, Germany, Hong Kong, Italy, Australia, France, Thailand, Iran, Canada, Bangladesh, Poland, Netherlands).

Outreach volunteer

Identify and visit schools in under-resourced communities to inform them about US universities and financial aid opportunities.
Represent Harvard at US college fairs all over the UK.
Co-edited HCUK’s monthly “Study in the USA” newsletter that serves the state school sector.
Allocated CIO funds to help admits with financial challenges.

Liaison for students and recent grads

Host student a cappella groups during their UK tours.
Identify internship opportunities for current students.
Spearheaded distribution of CIO funds to help British students during COVID.

Board members on the House of Lords terrace

With Board members at an HCUK reception in the Houses of Parliament

An international voice for a global alumni network

I have lived, studied and worked on three continents and speak different languages. I am one of the very few international candidates in recent years who can represent an increasingly global alumni community.

Grew up in Hong Kong.
Won full scholarship to study at the United World College of the Atlantic in the UK, the first of the United World Colleges, a global movement that makes education a force to unite cultures and nations.
Completed my International Baccalaureate diploma in the UK.
Earned two degrees in the US.
Studied German, Swedish and French at Harvard.
Worked and studied in the US, UK, Germany and Sweden.
Built career in the New York, London and Frankfurt offices of a global life sciences advisory organisation and accumulated project experience on four continents.
Living in London and maintaining strong family roots in Hong Kong, New York and the Cayman Islands.

HAA Alumni Leadership Conference at Harvard

International Leadership Workshop in Singapore

Commitment to expanding access to education

I believe that talent is everywhere but opportunity is not and that expanded access to good education is the key to improving lives and communities. I want to help Harvard attract the best and the brightest while creating opportunities and promoting social mobility for those facing adversities.

Long involvement with outreach efforts to under-resourced communities in the UK.
Staunch supporter of initiatives that make Harvard more affordable.
Co-chair and other roles in reunion fund-raising campaigns.
Advisory Board member of the Making Caring Common Project at the Harvard Graduate School of Education, an initiative to help parents and teachers raise children who care for others and the common good.
Founding Trustee of the charity foundation of a leading girls’ school in London that promotes more equitable access to quality education.
Participant in discussion groups on development strategies for the United World College of the Atlantic.

With Sasha the Harvard University Police Department community engagement dog

Advocacy for performing artists and their arts

I believe that the arts (and humanities) give us meaning and teach us what to value in life and should be integrated into mainstream experiences regardless of one’s socioeconomic background and cultural heritage.

Classically trained and still-practising pianist and ballet dancer.
General Manager and occasional piano accompanist for the Radcliffe Choral Society.
Supporter of dance charities in the UK.
Liaison for Harvard student music groups on tour in the UK.
Founder of Trio Veritas with fellow alumni musicians from HCUK.

At the piano in the residence of the Lord Mayor of the City of London for an HCUK reception

Professional expertise in organisation and team building

Through long-term involvement with a start-up advisory organisation turned global leader in the life sciences and related sectors, I understand the value of resilience, patience and loyalty. Through working in different industries and in countries, I have accumulated transferrable interdisciplinary expertise.

Left a large established financial institution to join an entrepreneurial boutique as the first employee.
Spearheaded the organisation’s first project in pharmaceuticals and biotechnology.
Continuously involved with the firm’s journey to become a leader in maximising opportunities for innovators in life-enhancing technology.
Developed expertise in communication, negotiation, project management, and strategic vision.
Assumed a consultant role to focus on motherhood and volunteer and artistic pursuits.

Lowell House bell

Endorsements and Support

Vicky Leung was President of the Harvard Club of London during my time as Lord Mayor of London 2023-2024. I can confidently say that Vicky is an excellent candidate for HAA Elected Director. She leads the Harvard UK community with enthusiasm and capability, demonstrating a deep commitment to strengthening alumni connections. Vicky combines being an outstanding advocate for the global Harvard alumni network with a remarkable ability to get things done. She inspires and galvanizes others, bringing people together to achieve meaningful results. Her dedication to educational outreach is evident—when I introduced her to a secondary school I support due to its commitment to bursaries, scholarships, and diversity, she quickly engaged with its mission and helped our fundraising enormously. Moreover, as an overseas resident I often feel that HAA needs an international voice that she can articulate well. Vicky’s leadership, drive, and unwavering support for education and community make her an exceptional choice for this role.

Professor Michael Mainelli Ab 1984
Lord Mayor of the City of London 2024 – 2025
Chairman, Z/Yen Group
President, London Chamber of Commerce & Industry

As a both a former international student and a current overseas alumnus, I am delighted that Vicky is running for election to the board. She is already a tireless and terrific president of Harvard club of the United Kingdom, engaging and leading members throughout the country. If elected, I have no doubt that she would continue as a dynamic and experienced voice for all the many of us outside the US. On top of that, as I am a former president of the Signet Society of Harvard College, Vicky’s keen engagement with the arts and letters in London only adds to my support for her candidacy. She’s an international with crimson in her veins, and I endorse her completely.

Professor Richard Howells AB 1989
Emeritus Professor of Cultural Sociology at King’s College London

I have known Vicky for years. Apart from being a friend, we have also worked together at HCUK and on another education charity. Even in volunteer roles, Vicky gives it her all. Her motivation is helping others, building community, creating social mobility and standing for the right principles. As a past ED who is also based outside of the US, I know the dedication it takes for an international candidate to serve. We are lucky to have Vicky’s commitment. Vote for her and get the best candidate possible on the HAA board.

Martha Abbruzzese Genieser AB 1991
HAA Elected Director 2017 – 2020
HCUK President 2015 – 2018

Vicky Leung is an empathetic, strategic and dedicated alumni leader. Her experience leading the Harvard Club of the United Kingdom – one of the largest Harvard alumni communities – will be invaluable to the Harvard Alumni Association board. Vicky has the courage to embrace complexity and the skills to negotiate it. Above all, it is a joy to work with her.

Dr. Alice Hill AB 1981, PHD 1991
HAA President 2019-2020
Harvard Club of Victoria President 2005-2008

I’m delighted to endorse Vicky’s candidacy for the Harvard Alumni Association Board. I’ve admired her leadership and advocacy for the Harvard UK alumni community here in London, which has shown her enthusiasm, integrity and ability to help get things done. She actively supports educational outreach and works with me on the Board of an educational charity of a leading London girls’ school. We need more international representation on the Harvard Boards and Vicky would be an excellent Director.

Dame Kate Bingham (DBE HonFREng FRS) MBA 1991
Managing Director, SV Health Investors
Chair of the UK Vaccine Taskforce 2020

I met Vicky 7 years ago when the Harvard Admissions Office assigned her to be my interviewer. I was then a concert pianist and high school student in Vilnius, Lithuania. We immediately found common ground in our love for music. Vicky is primarily a classical pianist but very interested in my love for jazz and composition. We covered a lot of topics, including basketball and computer programming. I was thrilled to be admitted to Harvard. I’m happy to say that Vicky and I have been keeping in touch. We met on campus. She got in touch during Covid to check I was ok. After graduation, I have been working in the technology sector and we are still in contact. It’s been quite a journey from Vilnius to Harvard to the west coast and it is great that Vicky takes an interest in my accomplishments and still tries to introduce me to other people with similar interests. From the way she cares about people and brings people together, I know she is the kind of person the HAA Board needs.

Simas Šakenis AB 2022

I met Vicky 6 years ago at an event she organised for HCUK and have since seen her in action or worked with her on many other HCUK initiatives. Like me, Vicky is a huge proponent for using education as a force to improve lives and societies. As a Member of the House of Lords, I worked with her on a Parliament reception for HCUK and can say confidently that Vicky can get things done. She is skilled at bringing people together and I am very happy to have been introduced by her to President Alan Garber, Sir Niall Ferguson and Dame Darcey Bussell. As an entrepreneur myself, I value her work ethic and can-do attitude. She is an enthusiastic and capable leader and team-builder and the Harvard alumni community would thrive with her on the Board.

Lord Karan Bilimoria of Chelsea (CBE, DL, FCA) HBS 2011
Member of the House of Lords
Former Chancellor of the University of Birmingham
Founder of Cobra Beer

I met Vicky during my Harvard interview when I was a student at UWC Atlantic College. From the very start, she was more than just an interviewer – she was a mentor, a supporter, and someone who truly listened. She kept in touch throughout my time at Harvard, checking in at key moments, including during the pandemic when international students faced severe uncertainty. Her ability to bring people together and her deep commitment to education make her an outstanding candidate for the HAA Board. Vicky doesn’t just advocate for alumni—she actively fosters connections and opportunities that make a lasting impact. She leads by example and I have no doubt she will continue to uplift and inspire others. As a former international student and a Harvard alumnus, I wholeheartedly endorse her and look forward to seeing all the great things she will accomplish.

Youssef Abou El Neaj AB 2021

1636 Forum endorses Vicky and other candidates because they are “willing to engage with alumni, demonstrated openness to different perspectives and constructive dialogue, and showed thoughtfulness in how they approached Harvard’s most urgent issues”. Their endorsed candidates share their vision for “what that future should look like: one grounded in academic rigor and open discourse, where students can engage with difficult topics in the classroom and where viewpoint diversity is celebrated, not treated as a barrier to participating in Harvard’s academic mission.”

1636 Forum

FAIR HA+ group encourages their members to consider Vicky as a particularly compelling candidate with “on-the-ground experience negotiating challenging issues related to freedom of expression as president of the Harvard Club of the UK.” FAIR describes Vicky as “an active alumni leader who is well informed and engaged with issues facing Harvard.”

FAIR Harvard Alumni+ (Foundation Against Intolerance and Racism)

HAFFS encourages alumni to consider voting for Vicky because they find their conversation with her “encouraging” and believe that she would “support free speech and academic freedom if elected.”

Harvard Alumni for Free Speech

In a message to its members, HJAA recommends alumni to vote for Vicky because “she is supportive of Israel and the Jewish people” and is “thoughtful, intelligent and well spoken”.

Harvard Jewish Alumni Alliance

Coalition for a Diverse Harvard leads 17 important Harvard organisations for alumni and students to endorse Vicky:

In their statement:

The need to elect leaders who will hold fast to the University’s commitment to an “environment that values diversity, promotes an inclusive culture, and establishes a profound sense of belonging for each member of our community” has never been greater. In this moment of peril for democracy, scholarship, and the freedom to learn, we need Harvard’s leaders to stand up. As we have for the past decade, the Coalition for a Diverse Harvard is – after exhaustive research and review – endorsing candidates in the Harvard elections. Here are the 5 Overseer candidates and 6 Harvard Alumni Association (HAA) Elected Director candidates we endorse.

Brief Bio

Education

MBA • New York University Stern School of Business (New York NY, US) • 1998
AB (cum laude, Social Studies) • Harvard College (Cambridge MA, US) • 1991
International Baccalaureate • United World College of the Atlantic (South Wales, UK) • 1987
Hong Kong School Leaving Certificate • Diocesan Girls’ School (Hong Kong) • 1985

Professional Experience

Consultant • EC M&A (London, UK) • 2010 –
Managing Director, Vice President, Associate • EC M&A (New York, US and Frankfurt, Germany) • 1993 – 2010
Analyst • Dresdner Bank (now Commerzbank) (New York and Frankfurt) • 1991 – 1993
Registered Securities Principal with valid Series 7, 24 and 63 FINRA licences

Volunteer and Leadership Experience

Harvard Club of the United Kingdom • President, Board Member, Events Co-Chair, Outreach volunteer, alumna interviewer • 2010 – Present
Making Caring Common, Harvard Graduate School of Education • Member of the Advisory Board • 2024 – Present
St. Paul’s Girls’ School (London UK) • Founding Trustee, Paulina Foundation • 2021 – Present
Harvard College Fund • President’s Associate, Reunion Campaign Committee Co-Chair, House Circle Captain • 2016 – Present
Radcliffe Choral Society • General Manager, choir member and occasional pianist • 1987 – 1991
Harvard International Students’ Association • President, member • 1987 – 1991
Harvard Equestrian Team • competition participant • 1990 – 1991
Her Majesty’s Coastguard Service (South Wales UK) • cliff rescue volunteer • 1985 – 1987

Skills & Interests

Languages: Chinese (native fluency) • English (native fluency) • German (fluent) • French (working knowledge) • Swedish (certificate of advanced Swedish, Uppsala University) • Russian (International Baccalaureate)
Interests: Classically trained pianist • dancer (ballet, modern)

Photo credit: Jordan Matter

Hamming it up with the Krokodiloes on tour in London

Your vote counts, your voice matters

Why vote?

The HAA Elected Directors and Harvard Overseers positions are the only elected positions within the Harvard Boards. These elected candidates are important for representing alumni interests to the University.
Of the approximately 425,000 living alumni, an estimated 325,000 are eligible to vote. Last year, only 35,000 actually voted.
We need an increase in voting participation to ensure broader representation of the alumni base.
Just a handful of votes can make a difference between being elected or not.

Why vote for an international Elected Director?

1 in 5 Harvard alumni live outside of the US.
Only 2 out of the 18 Elected Directors and 2 out of the 30 Overseers are based outside of the US.
Harvard is becoming increasingly international with 10,000 international students from almost 150 countries on campus (>40% of students).
Harvard College itself has 1,000 international students from over 100 countries (14% of total).
The international voice matters, yet very few non-US candidates have been nominated to the Elected Director and Overseer slates in recent years.

How to vote?

Voting begins on 1^st April and ends at 17:00 (eastern daylight time) on 20^th May.
Alumni may cast their votes either online or via paper ballot.
You may vote for any number of candidates up to 6 candidates for HAA Elected Directors and up to 5 candidates for Harvard Overseers.
Eligible voters will soon receive an email from the Elections Services Corporation from this address harvard@mg.electionservicescorp.com with instructions.
Visit the official Harvard election page if you have any questions.

Who may vote?

For the HAA Elected Directors, all degree holders as of 1st January 2025 are eligible.
For Overseers, eligible voters include all Harvard degree holders as of 1st January, except for Harvard’s officers of instruction and government, and members of the Harvard Corporation.

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