“Setbacks are a part of self-improvement,” says Claire Wilson, a member of the Robb Report Singapore Thought Leaders community

When in conversation with Claire Wilson, expect to learn random sports trivia. “Look at Michael Jordan,” she says, when asked about her career setbacks. “He’s missed more than 9,000 shots in his career, but he didn’t dwell on those failures. That’s one of the reasons why he was one of the greatest basketball players of all time.”

As a partner at Holland & Marie, a compliance consultancy firm, Wilson advises emerging fintech companies on regulatory, operational and strategic issues. Her day job keeps her more desk-bound than her favourite sports heroes, but that doesn’t stop the sports fanatic, who currently starts every day with a horse-riding session, from taking life lessons from them.

This has resulted in a diverse career that includes teaching law at a university and serving as a panel member of a tax appeal tribunal before she made the switch into tech consultancy three years ago.

“In life, you must be prepared to take risks, otherwise, you’ll not be living life to the fullest,” she says of the career choices she has made. “Setbacks are a part of the process of self-improvement.”

While calculated risk taking may be something sports has taught her, Wilson credits her grandmother for her interest in tech. “She had a Sinclair ZX Spectrum computer and used to programme computer games for us grandchildren to play when we stayed over at weekends,” she recalls fondly. “Ever since then, I have been an early adopter of technology and am curious about any innovative products.”

Her first brush with virtual assets was in 2013, when she discovered Bitcoin. “I was curious about why it existed and how it worked, so I researched the economic and regulatory aspects of virtual currency from a payments perspective. Today, I am interested in the use of NFTs and the promises of virtual reality and the metaverse.”

Given her penchant for diving into new interests and endeavours, there’s no telling what lies ahead for Wilson, but for now, tech feels like the perfect fit for her. “We live in an exciting era where technology is developing at a rapid pace. To be able to work in this area is truly exhilarating.”

Editor’s note: Get to know the full Thought Leaders community here.

Photography by Sayher Heffernan
Styling by Tok Wei Lun
Hair & Makeup by Gina
Credits: Dress by Norma Kamali from Net-a-Porter; Chanel Beauty and L’Oréal Hair Professional