“She Inspires” Mentorship Programme: Empowering Potential through Servant Leadership

At the Hong Kong Family and Women Development Summit 2026, organised by the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau under the theme “Shaping Women’s Strengths and Harnessing a Shared Future for Families”, one message stood out: women in Hong Kong are playing an increasingly influential role across various sectors and industries. Our featured guest for this issue, Ms Nikki Ng, Director of Philanthropy of Sino Group, is one of the role models among Hong Kong’s visionary female corporate leaders. As a mentor in the “She Inspires” Mentorship Programme, she draws on her extensive leadership experience and personal insights to inspire young women to unleash their potential and create boundless possibilities with passion and wisdom.

The Nurturing Soil for Growth: Wisdom Passed Down Through Generations

For Nikki, the foundations of leadership were laid in childhood by her family elders. She recalls learning early on that many of life’s limitations are self-imposed. A saying from her grandfather, the late Mr. Ng Teng-fong, continues to guide her today: "You will be good at whatever you are passionate about." It is a philosophy that shaped both her leadership philosophy and her worldview. Passion, she believes, is a force that enables people to discover joy and opportunities continually in both work and everyday life.

This belief inspired Sino Group’s "Farm Together" initiative, an urban farming project aimed at reconnecting city dwellers with nature and sustainable living. Although having no prior knowledge of farming, Nikki became inspired after reading the book Growing Your Own Food in Hong Kong and realised that even a densely built city like Hong Kong could embrace agriculture. She championed the project to encourage people in the community to slow down, reconnect with the environment and rediscover the fulfilment from sustainable living. Stepping beyond one’s comfort zone and loving what one does, she emphasised, often lead to rewards far greater than expected.

Sino Group’s integrated green community initiative "Farm Together" promotes urban farming and social inclusion, reconnecting the community with nature while cultivating the seeds of sustainability.

Leading with Servant Leadership

On the topic of leadership, Nikki reflects on the concept of servant leadership, a philosophy pioneered by Robert Greenleaf, an American management thinker. Today’s workplace, she believes, is no longer a stage for solo performers. The role of leader is not to take centre stage, but to support others — recognising different strengths, fostering collaboration within a team and guiding the team towards a shared vision. "Adaptability and collaboration are among the greatest strengths women bring to leadership," she remarks.

Nikki also highlights the importance of women bringing diverse perspectives into the workplace, a principle closely aligned with the ESG (Environmental, Social, and Governance) values. In architecture and design, for instance, women are often able to bring user-oriented perspectives to the practicality and comfort of the details when designing kitchen spaces. For young women, her advice is straightforward: resist the pressure to fit into traditional expectations, but instead voice their ideas confidently, stay curious and continue learning. Across Hong Kong, Nikki observes more companies are building inclusive and supportive workplace cultures. At Sino Group, initiatives such as mentorship programmes and employee activities connect female employees from different backgrounds, helping them balance family and career development while strengthening their professionalism and self-confidence, ensuring everyone’s potential is fully realised.

Sino Group launched the "Sino Women Connect" initiative in 2024, bringing together female employees of different ages, positions, and backgrounds through various activities and mentorship scheme, fostering mutual support and confidence, and empowering them to excel.

Walking Side by Side as a Down-to-Earth Leader

For Nikki, participating in the “She Inspires” Mentorship Programme as a mentor was a natural extension of her longstanding commitment to women’s development. The Programme, she says, encourages women to challenge themselves and build supportive networks. "This programme is not simply about mentees learning from experienced professionals; it is also a platform for women from different generations encouraging and learning from one another and grow together."

One of Nikki’s mentees in the Programme, Danee Cheng, agrees with the Programme’s profound impact. To Danee, Nikki was energetic, accomplished and approachable. "Beyond her impressive career achievements, what inspired me most was her passion for life," Danee shares. During a hiking outing organised by Nikki, Nikki’s energy and perseverance impressed the group. But what stayed with them most was her kindness: encountering hikers who had lost their way, Nikki warmly stopped to help by giving directions and personally guided them along part of the route. For Danee, this gesture instantly broke down the stereotype she had unconsciously held - that corporate leaders are distant or inaccessible figures detached from ordinary life.

The kick-off ceremony of the Home and Youth Affairs Bureau’s inaugural “She Inspires” Mentorship Programme was held on 19 July 2025. Mentors Nikki Ng (third from left) and Agnes Chan (third from right) pictured with mentees at the ceremony.

Growing through the “She Inspires” Mentorship Programme

Through the “She Inspires” Mentorship Programme, Danee not only gained a valuable mentor-mentee relationship, but also experienced significant personal growth in three key areas:

• Building Confidence Beyond the Comfort Zone: Danee notes a profound shift in her social mindset. She once found attending formal events or speaking with senior professionals intimidating, making her anxious and reserved. However, the interactions with her mentor, together with the workshops and networking opportunities offered by the Programme, encouraged her to step outside her comfort zone. Watching Nikki’s initiate conversations naturally and engage people warmly with humour gave her a practical model for navigating unfamiliar social settings. Danee learned how to communicate with greater confidence and ease, with skills such as ice-breaking techniques, articulating her ideas clearly in social settings, and building professional networks. These real-world experiences gave her valuable preparation for entering the workplace.
• Learning the Power of Humility: Equally influential was the humility displayed by Nikki and other mentors of the Programme. Despite their achievements, the mentors remained approachable and generous, offering guidance not only on career development, but also on interpersonal skills and personal growth. This taught Danee that true excellence is often accompanied by humility, empathy and a willingness to support others - qualities she now recognises as hallmarks of strong leadership.
• Getting Equipped with Practical Workplace Skills: The Programme also provides practical career development support through workshops and corporate visits. Danee found the training sessions particularly useful in helping mentees better understand their personalities and career aspirations, while industry professionals shared practical advice on interviews, networking and workplace readiness. Danee, who has long been interested in aviation, the visit to the Hong Kong International Aviation Academy and the Hong Kong International Airport proved especially meaningful. Observing airport operations first-hand later gave her a stronger foundation and greater confidence when interviewing for a summer internship at the Airport Authority Hong Kong.

Reframing the Humanities Debate

One conversation with Nikki particularly stayed with Danee. As a humanities student, Danee raised a concern: in a world increasingly dominated by technology and STEM disciplines, how should liberal arts students position themselves and thrive? Nikki understood the concern and offered her perspective. Having come from a humanities background herself, Nikki reassured Danee that academic disciplines rarely define a person’s ultimate path. Instead, success depends on recognising and leveraging one's individual strengths.

"Your academic background is only the starting point of your career journey. Companies value technical expertise, but they also need people with empathy, critical thinking skills, and strong communication abilities." For Danee, the conversation marked a turning point and gave her confidence. Instead of viewing her academic background as a disadvantage, she began to see it as a foundation upon which other strengths can be built, and she now better understands how to develop her own strengths and chart a more focused career path.

Epilogue

The Chief Executive announced in the 2025 Policy Address that the quota for the second cohort of the “She Inspires” Mentorship Programme would expand by 50%, increasing the number of mentees to 120. This will allow more female university students to benefit from the guidance and wisdom of accomplished women leaders across various professional sectors. As the interview drew to a close, Nikki offered a message to young women still searching for direction paths: “Always believe in your own value. Stay passionate and open-minded. Pursue what genuinely excites you. When passion and purpose come together, they become a powerful source of inspiration and unfold possibilities in ways you never expected.”