Shortly after graduating from McGill’s Desautels Faculty of Management, Carol Hoi Kar Yuen, BCom’98, moved home to Hong Kong – which is about as far away from Montreal as you can get. “McGill felt like a very distant place,” she recalls.
That changed in 2010, when McGill University’s Asia Office opened. “Alvin Chung reconnected Asia’s alumni one by one,” says Yuen. “I began getting regular updates from McGill and decided to get more involved in our alma mater.”
Yuen is now a member McGill’s Asia advisory board, and a strong supporter of the University. She has left a legacy gift – a bequest in her will – to McGill, and she encourages her fellow alumni to do the same.
Yuen’s decision was inspired by her work in finance. She worked at Goldman Sachs before co-founding her own Hong Kong consulting firm, and she considers estate planning a key part of financial planning. “I’ve had clients pass away suddenly, resulting in litigation and family issues. A will or life insurance policy is an easy way to do something meaningful.”
She’s also seen the difference giving makes. “Things have changed since my time at McGill. The Bronfman Building has access to Bloomberg Terminal, which impressed me. Alumni are donating to the McGill Library or creating scholarships for students in need, and it impacts generation after generation.”
Yuen has fond memories of her time at McGill. As a student she founded the Operations Management Society, competed in an international case competition, and received career advice from the Career Planning Service and the Dobson Centre for Entrepreneurship. “That experience is irreplaceable.”
Her legacy gift, designated towards McGill’s Greatest Needs, will ensure those experiences will continue for the next generation. “The world changes so quickly, and I trust McGill to act in its best interests,” says Yuen. “My estate could help students in need – a future lawyer, doctor, or politician – and create a better world.”
Her gift is just another way she’s supporting the University from abroad. “Nothing can replace the great memories and attachment that we all have for McGill. Distance doesn’t matter – we want to see it carry on.”
McGillians in Asia interested in learning more about legacy giving are welcome to contact Alvin Chung at the McGill University Asia Office.