Larry Leung

Larry Leung - My Transformation

My Transformation – Larry Leung

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MY JOURNEY SO FAR

Hello. Thanks for dropping by. 

This landing page highlights my experiences for those interested in learning more about me. Think of it as an enhanced version of my résumé that goes beyond a two-page chronological listing of achievements. Feel free to connect by email or Linkedin.

This landing page has five main sections – Lead (work experiences), Volunteer (community causes), Learn (education and designation), Create (media and speaking engagements), and Hobby (Interests and Book Favourites). You can access these sections from the Table of Contents below:

Table of Contents

Larry Leung – Introduction​

Larry Leung

I developed many leadership, teaching, presentation, and mentoring skills by wearing different hats – project manager, conference speaker, mentor, educator, and leader. 

Transforming experiences across different companies, industries, and fields is exciting and intense. I learn new ideas and techniques by connecting with people through travels, work, teaching, and community hubs. 

I have a curious mindset for information, and the ability to link data pieces into insights and ideas to engage in different topics. Teamwork, perseverance, negotiation, listening, and endurance are five words I live by in my pursuit of excellence.

People shape how successful projects will turn out.  I am proud to say that some of my mentees are now serving in senior management positions around the world. 

Working in small and large settings enables a broader perspective on business. I can turn complex concepts into easy-to-understand bite-size pieces for a worldwide audience.

The following sub-sections with the heading “Lead” showcase my work transformation from an information technology auditor to a customer experience expert today. 

Lead – Transformidy (2019-Now)

I formed Transformidy in 2019 to assist companies in transforming their customer and employee experiences through design and innovation. Authenticity, trust, quality, engagement, and simplicity are the core values the company represents. As the 2020 pandemic forever changes the way customers manage their needs, Transformidy looks forward to guiding companies to find the right mix of products/services, engagement cues, and technology tools to serve those needs successfully.

Some of the responsibilities that I have at Transformidy include:

  • Consulting with companies on their customer experience transformations;
  • Showcasing companies that have exemplified the art of customer experience taking into consideration social, environmental, community, and technology innovations;
  • Recommending strategic direction of companies’ customer loyalty and engagement programs; and  
  • Publishing insights and providing media support (e.g., podcasts, quotes) on current customer experience trends,

Other Highlights

  • Co-Owner of Retail Mashup – a content platform showcasing customer experience insights in the retail industry through articles and podcasts
  • Served on the judging panel at the Canadian Fintech Summit which awards prizes up to $150,000
  • Mentored startups on strategies and next steps
  • Featured regularly in the top-ranked Canadian online retail media hub – Retail Insider 

Lead – Experience The Skies (2014-Now)

Travel is fun but can also be exhaustive with all the tasks and planning. For example, many people are still confused about codesharing years after airlines introduced them.

Taking that to heart, I built Experience The Skies to improve the travel experience formula for the different companies I consult with:

  • Analyzing the end-to-end customer experience cycle and recommending changes based on a set of objectives;
  • Analyzing loyalty reward programs against established objectives and recommending growth opportunities;
  • Maximizing ancillary revenue potentials for travel industry clients;
  • Defining what it means for airports and airlines to provide a personalized experience and transform it through innovation, branding, and marketing strategies; and
  • Analyzing multimodal connectivity opportunities as part of the airport connection to the city center.

Other Highlights

  • Spoke for consecutive years on customer experience and multi-modal solutions at the Passenger Terminal Expo 
  • Showcased in the Transportation Research Board annual meeting and served on various committees
  • Served as the Loyalty Program Coordinator for the Loyalty Summit; evaluated over 80 hotel and airline loyalty programs based on promotion design, innovation, and communication. 

Lead – TD Bank Group (2010-2015)

For five years, I worked as a Group Audit Manager in the IT Application Audit Group at TD Bank Group (2nd largest bank in Canada and 10th ranked in North America). I collected extensive experience leading projects with many cross-functional businesses, information technology, and compliance teams. I focused primarily on higher-risk, customer-facing systems, and applications. 

My core responsibilities and key projects include:

  • Planned, executed, and reported complex engagements lasting two weeks to three months that required extensive team coordination, test toolsets, and data analytical methods. Won awards for customer service and work delivery; 
  • Delivered training on how new regulatory changes would affect workflow and test strategies;
  • Used as a subject matter expert on business continuity management, vendor management, risk management, regulatory policies, and governance for both business unit counterparts and clients;
  • Reviewed millions of data points for different engagements using data tools (e.g., MS Excel, ACL); 
  • Transformed the hiring process by building mock cases and interview questions for evaluation; and
  • Designed better employee experiences as a member of the LGBTQ2+ working committee. Worked with former CEO as part of the “It Gets Better” project group and represented the bank in official functions.

Lead – PwC (1998-2009)

For eleven years, I progressively worked to become an Audit Manager at PwC. I completed engagements to evaluate and transform different risks (e.g. technology, people, operational, governance, and financial, etc.) into an acceptable level.  These engagements spanned various industries with a worldwide presence. I highlighted some responsibilities below:

  • Led engagements with complex computing and business environments and was involved in crafting and executing the project strategy, managing project risks, and reporting results to internal and external senior management;
  • Managed a top-tier national account worth $2 million and was recognized for work achievements; and
  • Selected from less than 1% of the overall employee count to serve as an Experience Champion to present and implement the new marketing and employee experience strategy resulting in higher satisfaction scores.

I took on an additional role as the Learning and Education National Coordinator during my last two years at PwC which enabled me to: 

  • Transformed the learning and education program for over 150 partners and professionals in my service line. The program included technical (for example, data management, security, and privacy) and non-technical skills (for example, customer experience and presentation); 
  • Organized and execute multiple in-classroom training courses for hundreds of professionals in North America; and
  • Transformed the feedback mechanism to consolidate learning and education needs into the overall national strategy.  

Volunteer and Community

I like to volunteer. I can share my knowledge/skills and give back to the community. Additionally, I get to interact and learn from other bright minds from different backgrounds. Here are some highlights with descriptions:

  • Canadian Regional Leader and Book of Knowledge Author, Customer Experience Professional Association (CXPA) (2022-Ongoing)
  • Development Committee Member, Federation of Gay Games (2021-Ongoing)
  • Advisory Board Member – Aviation Festival Americas (2020-Ongoing)
  • Member, Customer Experience Professional Association (CXPA) (2019-Ongoing)
  • Research Advisor, Committee Member, and Paper Reviewer, Transportation Research Board (2016-Ongoing)
  • Technology Startup Mentor – Assisted in technology roadmap, business viability, and customer experience design. (2014-Ongoing)
  • Red Cabin Clean Cabin Committee Member – Research, define, and build guidelines to evaluate airplane cabin cleanliness protocols. (2020-2021)
  • Roundtable Contributor, Sidewalk Toronto – Discussed how to improve the experience in housing, retail, and mobility. (2018-2020)
  • Judging Panelist at the Canadian FinTech Summit 3.0 – Evaluated twelve retail startups in a mentorship and cash prize competition. (2019)
  • Roundtable Contributor, City of Toronto (Technology) – Discussed the city’s future technology policies and implementation. Focused on privacy, security, data management, and engagement. (2019) 
  • Pan American Games (Toronto 2015) Supplier Diversity Program Committee Member – Formalized policies to manage supplier allocations for the Games. (2012-2014)

Teach and Learn

Teaching has been a passion of mine. I like sharing what I know with audiences through training courses. The following is a highlighted list of courses/sessions I designed and taught:

  • Foundation to loyalty reward programs (2012) 
  • Foundation to information security (2006-2007)
  • Sarbanes Oxley (2004-2005)

Learning is a life journey in itself. Knowledge is used to form my perspectives. The 6+ years in universities started my quest for business insights. My stint as a teaching assistant while at the University of Toronto put me on a technological path. Since then, I find it beneficial to include both business and technology knowledge in transforming my views on opportunities, challenges, and solutions. The following is a highlighted list of universities and learning programs I attended and the designations I have:

  • ISACA – Certified Information Systems Auditor designation (2005-Ongoing)
  • University of Virginia – Design Thinking Certificate (2021)
  • IBM/Adweek Institute For Brand Marketing – courses in advanced marketing techniques, monetizing management, technology, and technology in the creative process (2020)
  • International Air Transport Association – airline management course on financial and fleet planning (2015)
  • University of Toronto – Masters of Business Administration (Accounting Specialization) (1996-1998)
  • University of Waterloo – Bachelor of Arts (Economics Specialization) (1992-1996)

Skills

Over my career, I gathered my technology, marketing, and analytical skills. The following is a list of highlights:

Skills

  • Search Engine Optimization
  • Net Promoter Scores
  • Journey Mapping
  • Customer Relationship Management 
  • Marketing
  • Privacy 

Tools

  • Microsoft Office Suite (Word, Excel, Visio, Access)
  • Audit Command Language
  • Mind Map Tools
  • Hubspot

Create

I am a creative person by nature. When it comes to my career, my creative outlets include speaking at conferences, participating in interviews, and publishing insights on various customer experience, technology, travel, and futurism topics. The following is a highlighted list of media outlets and conferences that invited me to contribute:

Media


Conferences

  • Aviation Festival Americas
  • CXPA Leader Advance
  • Passenger Terminal Conference 
  • Transportation Research Board

Hobbies and Interests

I love to travel, meet people, and eat desserts around the world. That is one of many reasons why help companies transform the customer experience. Besides English, I can speak Cantonese which makes ordering dim sum and Chinese food a breeze. 

When I am not traveling (been through 100 airports+ around the world), I like to read, meditate and listen to podcasts.  I always welcome suggestions on topics such as empowerment, customer experience, and futurism. Learning is my power food.

Favorite Books:

  1. James Clear – Atomic Habits. This book was recommended by a friend for my research into workflow management. It is about why we form habits and how can we develop good ones.
  2. Amy Herman – Visual Intelligence. This book is about learning narrative formation and communication using drawings, photographs, and visualization. 
  3. Robert Kelsey – What’s Stopping You? This book is about understanding different personality traits and building ways to empower yourself and people. 

What’s Next?

When I set out to use this domain, I wanted to create a landing page with updated résumé information to showcase some of my past and present transformations to seek new work and community opportunities. 

With more reflection, I decided to create a platform of mini-pages for topics I am interested in, such as travel, living life with technology, and how I deal with boredom. 

If you are interested to find out more, please subscribe here to receive the updates when they are released.

Signing off. “Transform Tomorrow Today”