By Catie George, Manager, Communications & Storytelling
As an Asian-American woman who emigrated from Cambodia when she was only eight years old, Thear Suzuki’s story is one of reckoning with her identity.
“Feeling safe and being comfortable in my own skin has been a journey for me,” said Suzuki, now a Global Client Service Partner at Ernst & Young LLP (EY), Dallas Regional Chamber member company.
“My family came to Dallas as refugees after surviving four years of the Cambodian genocide and living two years in refugee camps, uncertain of what life would be like in our new home,” said Suzuki. “Growing up, I often felt lesser, and that other people were smarter and had more. I developed limiting beliefs that continued into my professional life. I saw my difference as a liability and not something to be proud of.”
Suzuki attended Southern Methodist University, served on various boards and committees, and was featured in George W. Bush’s “Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants.”
“President Bush painted 43 immigrants and shared our stories in his book, ‘Out of Many, One: Portraits of America’s Immigrants,’” said Suzuki. “Being one of the 43 included in his book, President Bush helped to elevate my voice and gave me a bigger platform to make a difference.”
Suzuki began her career at Accenture, where she spent 16 years before joining EY in 2012. Her sense of identity grew with her career.
“As I grew and matured in my professional development, I’ve learned the importance of embracing my unique identity and seeing my differences as a source of strength,” she said. “Sharing my story openly and learning about others allows me to build deeper connections.”
This increased sense of identity helped increase her confidence and leadership, too.
“As I became more comfortable with my unique identity and understood what was important to me, I started to lead more authentically and from a place of confidence and strength. I shifted from just going with the flow to making more intentional choices on where and how I would spend my time and energy.”
Her advice to young Asian American, Native Hawaiian, and Pacific Islander (AANHPI) professionals is to take every chance to actively engage.
“Actively engaging means showing up, participating, learning, asking good questions, collaborating with others, and contributing in every setting to the best of your ability. This was something I had to learn and change early in my career,” Suzuki said. “Being unsure of myself, I was often a passive bystander at work. During meetings, I was quiet and afraid to ask questions. I was seen as a good worker and a strong performer but not a leader.”
As Suzuki grew as a leader, she reflected on diversity within leadership.
“[It] drives a greater culture of belonging, inclusion, and psychological safety – which in turn positively impacts business outcomes,” she said. “Diversity and inclusive leadership are about inviting in, valuing, and capitalizing on different perspectives, which leads to more innovation, stronger customer/client service, more effective risk management, and better decision-making.”
One critical step of her leadership journey was helping to create the Orchid Giving Circle, a part of the Texas Women’s Foundation focused on supporting the Asian-American Community in North Texas.
“Upon joining the board of directors of the Dallas Women’s Foundation in 2013, I met a few other Asian leaders in the community. We asked ourselves, ‘Where are the Asian leaders and why do we not see more in the Dallas community?’ As we contemplated these questions, we also learned that less than 1% of philanthropic dollars go to support non-profit organizations and programs that support the Asian community.”
Today, the Orchid Giving Circle has raised over $2 million in grants, supported 40 non-profit organizations, and benefited over 150,000 individuals and families.
“Together we have strengthened our community, democratized philanthropy, and formed life-long friendships,” Suzuki said.
To learn more about the Diversity work the Dallas Regional Chamber is doing, visit our website.