Sana Buchoo-Sayfoo

As professional with over 11 years of working experience in corporate secretarial and regulatory compliance in the financial services industry, I am expert in key jurisdictions, including Cayman Islands, British Virgin Islands, Mauritius, Seychelles, Hong Kong, Singapore and UAE. I am also experienced in dealing with major clients and stakeholders across the globe, including regulatory authorities. Currently based in the UAE, I initially started my career in Mauritius (my home country), after which I got the opportunity to be more involved in the regulatory compliance field in Singapore before making the move to the UAE.

What makes you a Risky Woman?

I believe taking adequate calculated risks is required to make one learn and grow, either in personal or professional life. I am always open for any new professional responsibility that is handed over to me based on my self-confidence and intuitive approach for proper closure.

My self-confidence is based on knowledge and experience that I gained over the years where investing the right amount of effort while being efficient is cutting edge.

Name your top 3 achievements

1. Successfully achieving my Law & Management degree and continuous learning, which I consider as the impetus of my career. 
2. Getting an opportunity to spend part of my career path in Singapore, which is known to be the ‘tiger’ of financial hubs in Asia. 
3. Consistently maintaining a happy married life along the way, which I regard as equally important in my life while following my professional goals.

What is the biggest risk you’ve taken in your career?

I would say following my career goals by moving from Mauritius to Singapore was risky as it happened when COVID-19 was spreading across the world. Benefit to the risk was that I still fulfilled my responsibilities as a higher performer, hence obtaining more strategic responsibilities.

What’s something most people don’t know about you?

Besides being a professional, I am equally ambitious and committed to my relationships and home as I am to my profession. I pride myself in being an aspiring home cook and always learning new recipes. It is a result of good time management and multi-tasking skills.

What is the best quality for successful leaders in Risk?

I believe there is no single best quality but a combination of qualities that are required to make a successful leader, especially in Risk and Compliance. Elaborating on this subject is another topic on its own.