Refugee to Business Leader

Thear Sy knows a thing or two about independence.

Her family moved to the U.S. from Cambodia in 1981 after the country’s devastating civil war.

She was thrust into an unfamiliar school environment at age eight while her parents, who didn’t speak English, worked minimum wage jobs to support her and her four siblings. 

But there’s no doubt her adolescent hardships were instrumental in making her the successful, influential leader she is today.

As a senior executive at global management consulting, technology services and outsourcing company Accenture, she leads the custom software delivery practice and has worked with clients including FedEx, Kaiser Permanente and VISA.

PINK: What did your parents do once your family got to the U.S.?
TS: My father’s first and last job was being a janitor at an elementary school. He was a janitor for 25 years. My mother worked two jobs. Her first job was cleaning hotels and her second was in a cafeteria. She was injured on the job and became disabled after working for several years.

My parents, who made minimum wage throughout their entire career, raised five kids. I give all the credit to my parents, their perseverance and everything that they’ve done to give us better lives.

PINK: What’s your biggest weakness as a leader?
TS: I sometimes struggle with claiming power and competition. It’s uncomfortable for me. I want to be collaborative and work with everyone. I want everyone to win, and that’s not always possible.

When there’s tension around competition, that’s uncomfortable for me. I do realize that having, claiming and owning power is about being able to get things done, and it’s a good thing when used responsibly.

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By Caroline Cox

“If we spend the majority of our time doing what we love, that’s success.”        Thear Sy