APAN Spotlight: Eun Ah Choi on Maximizing Opportunities and Collaboration Through Community Building

In honor of Asian American and Pacific Islander Heritage Month, we are featuring members and leaders of our APAN (Asian Professionals at Nasdaq) employee resource group (ERG) to learn more about their roles at Nasdaq, the impact they drive every day and how other groups can be allies to the Asian community at large. We spoke with Eun Ah Choi, Executive Sponsor of APAN, Senior Vice President of Regulatory Operations and Head of U.S. Head of Listings Qualifications and Market Surveillance at Nasdaq, about the opportunities which follow from being part of a community and engaging in allyship.

Please tell us about your role at Nasdaq.

I serve as Senior Vice President, Regulatory Operations and head the U.S. Listing Qualifications, MarketWatch and Options Surveillance teams. I am responsible for assessing the qualification of listed companies and continued compliance review with Nasdaq’s comprehensive listing standards. I also manage Nasdaq’s surveillance program over equities and options markets to maintain an orderly marketplace and level playing field for investors, market participants, and listed companies.

What role do you serve within APAN, and why did you decide to take on this leadership role?

As Executive Sponsor of the APAN Network, I get to see firsthand the meaningful effects an inclusive and diverse culture can have on developing great Asian talent and how that leads to success for all.

What does Asian culture represent to you, and how has it impacted your leadership values?

 When I was in the fifth grade, my family moved from the bustling Gangnam District of Seoul, South Korea, to the small town of Springfield, Missouri. Going from one of the largest cities in the world to a smaller city in the Ozarks with a completely different culture allowed me to look forward to going beyond what I already knew. I am interested in growing, improving and having a different perspective, especially when I am a newcomer to something. Being in different environments has helped me try new things, as well as helping me understand that there are different traditions, customs, and institutional values. Even though I may not understand one area, I’m open-minded about learning and expanding on that. Being able to understand others’ perspectives, backgrounds, goals and priorities are important in meaningful and deep collaboration and effectively meeting your mutual mission.

The 2023 theme for AAPI Heritage Month is “Advancing Leaders Through Opportunity.” How has opportunity played a part in your own leadership journey?

 Opportunities come from hard work, sponsorship, and networking. They stem from a combination of individual effort and building relationships through teamwork. Being a part of a community, engaging in allyship, and having a positive sum game philosophy – that we all have something to gain through collaboration and finding solutions – are important elements of maximizing opportunities, as well as leading and elevating the whole team. To me, bringing a genuine sense of collaboration to the table is key to success.  

The views and opinions expressed herein are the views and opinions of the author and do not necessarily reflect those of Nasdaq, Inc.

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