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Writer's pictureAnli Valdez

FinTech Female Fridays: Meet Amy Chou, Chief Operating Officer at Addition Wealth


Amy Chou began her career on the trading floor at J.P. Morgan where she discovered her true interest lay in being an operator. She was always fascinated in how companies make decisions that either drive or reduce their value, so after several years in finance, she decided to join Jet.com. There she managed a category P&L and found a love for the start-up environment, which ultimately led her to Uber. At Uber, she oversaw a variety of teams across strategy and operations, including leading Business Intelligence for the UberEats business. 


Amy never backed away from a challenge and always took on new roles, even when they were undefined. "I feel fortunate to have always had great managers and advocates throughout my career," explained Amy. With their support, she was able to achieve at the highest levels.


Ana Mahony, founder and CEO of Addition Wealth, is one of those strong female leaders who Amy met at Uber, eventually leading her to join Addition Wealth as a founding team member and Chief Operating Officer. Building a company and product was not entirely new to Amy, as she had previously launched a direct-to-consumer personal care brand from the ground up.


Addition Wealth is a financial wellness company that enables employees to make the most of their money. Through Addition Wealth, employees receive free access to tools and resources to confidently make critical financial decisions. As a child of immigrants, democratizing access to financial literacy is something Amy cares deeply about. Addition Wealth is serving tens of thousands of employees who rely on it to navigate life's biggest financial decisions.


When it comes to company culture, Addition Wealth is a fast-paced, innovative company with a flat organizational structure. This enables the firm to hire individuals of the highest caliber from their respective fields and trust them to deliver great results for the company. Amy emphasizes the importance of building a team where individuals have unlimited growth opportunities and are empowered to execute their ideas. 


Diversity is key at Addition Wealth – its core mission is to make personalized financial expertise accessible and inclusive to all. Employees at Addition Wealth believe that “accessible and inclusive” begins in the workplace culture. Amy also takes pride in the fact that the leadership team and Board of Directors are majority women. 



More on Amy

Where you currently live: New York City

Living arrangement: Cozy 1 bedroom in Nomad

Hometown: East Brunswick, NJ

Favorite hobby:  Entertaining and hosting friends and family – something I don’t do as much as I’d like to right now 

Favorite show to binge: Love is Blind

Favorite fintech media that inspires you: “How I Built This” podcast - it’s great to hear stories of how people have built startups from scratch and to learn about the challenges they overcame on the journey


What is one piece of advice someone told you that resonated with you that can give to other women in FinTech?    

You have to advocate for yourself. The reality is that people, including managers and coworkers, are busy. The more effectively you can articulate your needs and goals, the more those around you can lend their support. 

 

What is the most important lesson you have learned from a mistake you’ve made in the past?It’s somewhat ironic given that Addition Wealth helps individuals with their finances, but I have made a lot of mistakes around personal finances and equity compensation from past employers. I wish I had learned the principles of compound interest and time, alongside tax optimization, earlier. Helping people make the most of their personal finances is why I’m passionate about what we are building at Addition Wealth.

 

Do you have any productivity hacks? What keeps you motivated? How do you maintain a work/life balance?

I really value work-life integration and believe in the importance of prioritizing my personal commitments as much as my work tasks, ensuring my personal responsibilities never take a backseat to my professional ones. Achieving this balance has taken a considerable amount of time and coaching, particularly because I enjoy my work and consider it to be a core part of my identity. 


My favorite productivity hacks are efficient sleep, and efficient use of time on airplanes. For example, on a red-eye flight, I will fall asleep for as long as I can, as fast as I can, and on a day flight, I work for the entire duration. This way, I am prepared for whatever is to come!


Daily Diary

Everyday is truly different…

8:00am: Wake up

8:00am-9:00am: Morning routine & clear inbox

9:00am-6:00pm: Meetings and work. No two days are the same, but the general motion is working with the awesome internal teams at Addition Wealth, spending time with partners and customers, and learning from amazing financial professionals

6:00-8:00pm: Have dinner either with my partner or use the time to catch up on work if it was an especially full day

8:00pm-9:00pm: Catch up with family

9:00pm: Hit the peloton for a 30-minute ride and stretch. It helps clear my mind and let go of the day

9:45pm: I am lucky to have a gym with a sauna in my building, and I use it pretty religiously at night for around 15 minutes. It helps with recovery and sets me up well for a good night of sleep.

10:00pm-11:30pm: Close out any work emails / computer time. Catch up on podcasts / news / twitter

12:00pm/1am: Sleep!


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