Skip to content

‘You will never be a CEO’

After time spent in Silicon Valley, Gillian Tee founded her first company in New York at the tender age of 28.

She eventually returned home to Singapore and started Homage, a business to match healthcare workers with seniors and their families who need help.

But Ms Tee says it’s not always been an easy journey to the top as a woman CEO in industries dominated by men in senior management.

Produced and edited by Derek Cai and Fahmi Jamal.

3 September 2021

Explore More

A woman in a wheelchair. She is wearing a black jumper and a white and black skirt.

The women who are asked 'how do you have sex?'

Rachel Reeves

Watch: Reeves 'deeply proud' to be first female chancellor

Three women sitting on grass looking at coursework together. They are near a sign that says Dundee.

Afghan women describe joy at resuming medical dreams in Scotland

Tayside & Central Scotland

Marilyn Wyatt holding up a pair of knitted hearts

The group knitting hearts to help comfort families

The word menopause on a lightbox surrounded by pills

Doctor answers your menopause questions

Gemma Dunstan at BBC Cardiff Central square on a balcony in front of a tv control room. she has long dark hair and is wearing a loose grey top

How do police forces catch misbehaving officers?

An independent review found that Edinburgh Rape Crisis Centre had not put survivors first.

Rape Crisis Scotland boss apologises to rape survivors over support centre failings

Edinburgh, Fife & East

Gemma Doherty, wearing a kilt and blue t-shirt lifts two large stones on chains.

Stone-lifting mum is not your typical strong woman

Two veteran footballers, both in red shirts, one with a yellow bib

'It's a dream to play for Wales, even at 75'

Catriona Aitken - who has glasses and tied-back brown hair and is wearing a black floral dress - sat on an orange sofa, with the colourful panels of the BBC Wales office behind her

What is chemical menopause?

Tinessa Kaur in her barrister robes

Sikh woman becomes first to win barrister award

Victoria Atkins

The NHS was created by men for men, says health secretary

Molly Fenton, founder of Love Your Period

Women told alternative treatments could risk health

Actress Ashley Judd

Ashley Judd: 'It's a hard day' for Weinstein survivors

Keyframe #1

Breaking barriers: The rise of women's weightlifting

Residents in Maesteg

Public loo closure causes concern for older people

SheUltra medal

Hundreds to join 'empowering' women's ultra run

Care home resident John playing a guitar

London charity tackles isolation through music

Finding Nana book

What happens when Nana moves into a care home?

Reality TV star Vicky Pattison standing in her kitchen

Reality TV star Vicky Pattison: Why I'd donate my frozen eggs

Twins James and John Makanjuola,

The twins cleaning London's unloved spaces

Entrepreneurs James and John run a cleaning firm, but take it to the next level in their spare time.

Paula Vennells at the Post Office inquiry

Key moments from former Post Office chief's three-day testimony

Paula Vennells faced three days of questions about her role in the wrongful prosecution of hundreds of sub-postmasters.

Paula Vennells reaching for a tissue in the Post Office inqiuiry

Ex-Post Office boss cries while giving evidence

Ex-Post Office boss Paula Vennells is speaking about the incident for the first time in ten years.

Santiago Paredes

Whistleblower claims Boeing supplier sent faulty parts

Spirit AeroSystems supplied Boeing with faulty parts, a former quality inspector has told the BBC.

Tatti Lashes

Tatti Lashes: The school friends who built a beauty empire

Charlotte Tiplady and Elliot Barton explain how together they built up their Tatti Lashes beauty empire from Liverpool.

Ocado has added robotic arms to its newest warehouse near Luton.

Watch Ocado robots in action

Ocado has added robotic arms to its newest warehouse near Luton.

Business Headlines

BBC World News business headlines

The latest international business headlines from BBC World News.

Jo Hamilton

'I feel survivor's guilt' says Post Office victim

Former sub-postmaster Jo Hamilton told BBC Breakfast she feels "guilt" after settling with the government over the Horizon IT scandal.

Woman in sunglasses smiling while answering questions related to the Budget

Watch: 'My biggest financial regret is...'

People in Kent share their finance stories ahead of Wednesday's Budget. Would you share yours?

Mohsin Issa

Issa brother to step back after 'fixing' Asda

Mohsin Issa, one half of the so-called "billionaire brothers" who own Asda, says he plans to hand over the running of the UK's third biggest supermarket.

Robots

'We had to adapt our robots to the AI revolution'

Sandy Enoch of Robotical explains why he had to pivot his educational robot company due to AI.

Picsart

'AI won't steal your job, but people using it may'

Hovhannes Avoyan, founder of picture and video editing app Picsart, shares his advice for our CEO Secrets series.

Picture of The Body Shop storefront in the 80s

'They thought it was a sex shop' - The Body Shop in the '80s

Archive footage shows Dame Anita Roddick talking about her company's success, in an 1984 interview.

Raid on Co-op store

CCTV shows violent raid on Co-op store

The retailer gave the footage to the BBC as it warned of a rise in attacks on retail staff.

Sir Howard Davies

Not that difficult to buy a home, says NatWest chair

Sir Howard Davies says he believes it is not currently "that difficult" for people to get on the housing ladder.

Joanna Jensen

'A viral Facebook post nearly blew up our business'

Joanna Jensen, founder of skincare brand Childs Farm, shares advice for start-ups for our CEO Secrets series.

Ofcom chief executive Dame Melanie Dawes

Broadband rises must be 'clearer', says Ofcom boss

The regulator has plans to make mobile and broadband firms more upfront about mid-contract price rises.

Earring

'This earring helped me build my £4bn business'

Richard Harpin, co-founder of Homeserve, explains how an earring taught him an early business lesson.

Olivia DeRamus and BBC reporter Lora Jones

'Taking control of my abuse story'

Olivia DeRamus set up an app in the wake of her sexual assault. Now she's ready to take on Big Tech.

Virgin Atlantic flight

Watch: Take off for ground-breaking green fuel flight

It is the first transatlantic flight powered solely by alternative fuels.