From Hong Kong to Chicago to Atlanta
Pin Pin Chau
President / CEO of The Summit National Bank
Summit Bank Corporation is a Georgia-based bank with offices in Atlanta and San Jose,
CA. For 6 of the last 7 years, Summit has been the leading SBA lender in Georgia and it is known for its ability to provide culturally sensitive service to diverse ethnic communities.
Born in Hong Kong, Pin Pin Chau was educated at Yale where she received an MA degree. She also graduated from Stonier Graduate School of Banking and spent her earlier years as a banker in New York and as President / CEO of a community bank there.
Now involved in the Atlanta community, Pin Pin serves on the board of directors for the
Atlanta College of Arts, the Consumer Credit Counseling Service, and the Carter Center
Board of Councilors. She is also a graduate of Leadership Atlanta, member of the
International Women’s Forum, and an associate of the Society of International Business
Fellows.
The female role model who most inspires Pin Pin is her 92 year old mother, Waihing
Wong (which means Yellow River Becomes Clear.) Pin Pin said she has always respected her mother for her intelligence, her decision-making ability, and her unconventional nature and determination. Growing up in China, girls didn’t go to college and they married very young under prearranged conditions, but not Pin Pin’s mother. She went to college and selected her own husband. She then became a teacher, worked fulltime and raised 6 children.
Besides Leonardo Da Vinci whose life and accomplishments also inspired Pin Pin, she looks to her husband, Dr. Raymond Chau, a toxicologist, as her male mentor and role model. More than anyone else, she says that he believed in her and encouraged her to pursue her career goals, goals that were quite different from her college major (art). With his help and support, Pin Pin said she gradually overcame her tendency to be shy and learned instead to speak up for herself – a very valuable lesson in business and life.
March, 2000
About the author : Susan B. Hitchcock, vice president – development for the Turknett
Leadership Group in Atlanta, is also founder / creator of The Age of SHEroes – a research initiative and information resource dedicated to female role models and women of achievement of the new Millennium. Susan is currently researching a book, which will include compelling profiles and perspectives from females of all ages in fields from aerospace to zoology across the 50 states. For additional information about this initiative or to contribute ideas for the research, please contact Susan at 843-363-2568.