Get to know: Izzy Pinto, the finance and operations manager for Golden Key’s Asia Pacific region

by Julia Brown
December 12, 2022

Izzy Pinto has been the finance and operations manager for Golden Key’s Asia Pacific region for over five years. She was initially drawn to Golden Key as a member and part of the team when she started working for Golden Key as a contractor filling in the previous accountant’s role. Golden Key then offered her a full-time position.

“I wanted to slow down in my career,” said Pinto. “I wanted to work for an organization that gave back to the community. With Golden Key helping students achieve their potential, I thought it was the right fit and a great addition to the community along with aligning with my values.”

What inspires Pinto the most are women working in male-dominated workplaces who dare to speak up against workplace bullying, racism, and misogyny. She said, “unfortunately, all these things still occur in some workplaces, and I applaud those women who stand up against this.”

This past year that what made Pinto proud to be a part of Golden Key was working with such a forward-thinking CEO. She said, “Golden Key’s CEO cares about the staff.”

Pinto said this compassion has always made her proud of where Golden Key is now. “If we didn’t have that, our organization would have been a casualty of covid,” she said. “Everyone has put in more than expected to allow us to continue to succeed through covid.”

Pinto explained that working as part of a team and being able to communicate makes a great leader. “I feel that many leaders feel that their position is about how they want to feel rather than how they make their staff feel, and it shouldn’t be about that,” said Pinto. “It should be about how to pass down your knowledge to those who rely on you.”

There have been many different people during Pinto’s career who have positively impacted her working environment.

“My manager in my first ever job was my favorite person to work with as she taught me that being kind and not taking your position too seriously was the key to being an amazing boss and mentor,” said Pinto.

She has tried to follow what she learned from her old manager over the years. The best career advice Pinto has ever received was, “prove your worth to yourself and not to others, as you are the only person who will truly appreciate what you do for yourself.”

Pinto also explained that the best skills to have in life are empathy, compassion, and common sense. “I feel they are skills you need to have these days as they are disappearing,” said Pinto.

Golden Key allows members to show employers that they have worked hard to reach the top rank at a university. Pinto said, “the most important benefit that I think we offer the webinar program, which, in the APAC region, has been a big hit.”

Pinto’s top advice for new members is: “Don’t aim at achieving what you want; aim at achieving what you need, as that will get you what you want in life.”

“I think our new members who are still finding their way in their career path would benefit from our webinar presentation run by Megumi Miki,” said Pinto.

Megumi Miki’s webinar presentation can be found in the Golden Key Academy.