Women in leadership was the topic of a thought-provoking fireside chat featuring Jeanette MAO, Chief Executive Officer of HK Express Airways, at HKUST on February 10, 2026.
The “Fireside Chat with Woman CEO in Hong Kong” event was held by the Diversity and Equal Opportunities Unit in collaboration with the School of Business and Management and the School of Engineering.
During the chat, Jeanette inspired the community with her remarkable leadership journey, from being an HKUST alumna to helming one of Hong Kong’s most recognized aviation companies. She offered candid insights into how Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) can be embedded in leadership and organizational culture.
In her powerful opening address, HKUST President Prof. Nancy IP said the event provided a meaningful platform for dialogue among staff, faculty, alumni, and students, while emphasizing DEI’s importance as a cornerstone of value-driven leadership and institutional excellence:
“Excellence is achieved by empowering every member of our community. As such, we have worked hard to build an inclusive environment that embraces diverse perspectives and to create supportive spaces for work and learning to push the frontiers of knowledge,” she said.
From Shanghai to HKUST to Aviation
Following President Ip’s opening address, Helen CHEN, Head of External and Alumni Relations at the HKUST School of Business and Management, moderated an enlightening discussion with Jeanette.
Jeanette shared her pivotal decision to relocate from Shanghai to pursue her bachelor’s degree in Computer Science, followed by a master’s degree in Finance at HKUST. Those formative years instilled in her a sense of curiosity and the courage to step into the unknown, as she recognized that growth often comes from embracing new challenges.
After graduating from HKUST, Jeanette began her illustrious career in 2002 as a management trainee with the Cathay Group, where she ascended to leadership positions, including services and operations, cargo, international affairs, customer experience, inflight products, and sales and distribution. These roles equipped her with a comprehensive understanding of the responsibilities shouldered by frontline staff and the importance of a leader to unify a diverse team with purpose.
She recounted her experience of volunteering for the special rescue flights from the Diamond Princess cruise ship in Japan and from Wuhan during the COVID-19 pandemic. That experience reinforced her belief in visibility as a leader.
“Be visible and a role model. Be part of the team rather than staying behind the scenes,” she advised. “A leader doesn’t need to know everything but must trust the collective wisdom of a team.”
The Future of Work, AI, and DEI
Jeanette viewed AI and technology as tools that amplify innovation rather than replace humans. While she illustrated how AI has transformed customer service and engineering functions at HK Express, she emphasized that unique individual traits like resilience, critical thinking, and empathy will become even more crucial in the age of AI.
“Technology will reshape how we work, but empathy, resilience, and courage will define how far we go,” she said.
She also made a compelling case for the urgency of DEI in today’s workplace: “Happy employees lead to happy customers, which leads to a happy business. People flourish when they feel respected, included, and can be their authentic selves,” she explained.
Jeanette highlighted how a diverse team helps to identify blind spots, make stronger decisions, and remain agile in a fast-changing world. She shared her own process of “unlearning” as she took on the CEO role at HK Express Airways, intentionally embracing new perspectives put forward by team members with first-hand experience in low-cost carriers.
Empowering the Next Generation of Leaders
Students in the audience enthusiastically posed questions about managing diverse teams, navigating male-dominated industries, and lessons Jeanette would offer to her younger self during an engaging Q&A session.
Jeanette encouraged students to make full use of their university years—trying new things, stepping beyond their comfort zone, and building connections across diverse backgrounds. She stressed the importance of both physical and mental well-being, encouraging each individual to find their own “charging stations,” whether through hobbies, friendships, or family support.
“Career and life are a marathon, not a sprint,” she emphasized.
In her closing remarks, she encouraged the audience to redefine failure and work together to foster a culture where setbacks are viewed as opportunities for learning and growth.
“What matters is how you stand up and learn from it,” she shared.
