Anna Tung, Senior Vice President, Internal Audit at Scotiabank, has built a career shaped by resilience, quiet perseverance, and a strong sense of collective responsibility. Being a first-generation immigrant instilled foundational values of hard work, adaptability, and commitment to contributing to something larger than oneself – principles that continue to inform her leadership approach.
As a young child, Anna immigrated to Canada from China with her parents and brother. “We came to Canada with limited resources and no English,” Anna says. “My parents took on any available manual labour job and over time my father built a small business – growing from a local market stall to a retail storefront.”
That small business became Anna’s second classroom. Unlike most kids who spent afternoons and weekends at the playground, she was at the market alongside her parents and brothers, learning lessons that would shape her approach to leadership decades later.
“I remember being at the store all through my school years doing every possible task,” she says. “Watching my parents start over in a new country overcoming language and cultural barriers with quiet determination taught me resilience and resourcefulness. Their perseverance showed me that challenges are not limits but opportunities to rise above.”
That ethos served her well in her first role after university at the Office of the Superintendent of Financial Institutions (OSFI) Supervisory Career Management Program, where she brought the same determination and discipline rooted from her early experiences at her family’s small business.
“I would often walk the floor asking managers if there was anything else I could take on,” Anna says. “No task was too small or too trivial” – a perspective shaped by her upbringing. This approach quickly distinguished her, and Anna became known not only for delivering results, but for her initiative and ability to take on increasing responsibility. When she moved to Scotiabank five years later, she brought the same work ethic with her – focused on delivering value, learning continuously, and contributing wherever she could make an impact.
For years, this formula propelled her forward. But as she advanced, the next role seemed out of reach. It was then that she encountered a pivotal moment – one that would reshape her leadership journey.
Know your strengths, aspirations, and development priorities, and actively seek feedback to see if you’ve missed anything.
A senior leader offered her a simple, yet profound advice; be intentional about what you want next.
“That was a turning point” Anna says. “It was an ‘aha’ moment that pushed me to pause and self-reflect which led me to define a clearer path aligned with organizational priorities and to intentionally pursue roles that would stretch my development.”
Across Internal Audit, Strategy Projects, Group Treasury, and Global Wealth Management, she built a career not just through hard work, but through purposeful choice. Today, Anna leads with the same principles that have guided her from the beginning – resilience, humility, and commitment to collective success. As SVP Internal Audit, she oversees teams providing independent assurance and advisory services across two major business lines and global functions, ensuring rigor, integrity, and impact at scale – contributing to the collective success of the organization.
Yet, for Anna, leadership is not only about results. She is deeply committed to paying it forward, investing in the growth of others just as leaders once invested in her. Anna serves as an executive sponsor of Internal Audit’s Women in Leadership Employee Resource Group while actively mentoring emerging leaders across the organization. Through both roles, she is focused on enabling others to navigate their careers with greater clarity and confidence.
When asked what advice she’d give to young professionals today, Anna speaks from the heart.
“Take time to be self-reflective. Know your strengths, aspirations, and development priorities, and actively seek feedback to see if you’ve missed anything. And then create a clear roadmap. You may not need to have specific steps – plans change along the way – but you want to be able to articulate what you need to those who can help you be successful.”
It is advice rooted in the journey from a childhood shaped by humility and collective responsibility to a career defined by the power of self-awareness and confident self-advocacy.
“I’m thankful to my parents for giving me the privilege of living a much better life than they had,” Anna says. “The resilience and work ethic they taught me are the foundation of everything I’ve accomplished. But I’ve also learned that working hard isn’t enough. You have to know what you’re working toward.”
This article was first published in Women of Influence and is republished with permission.
