2 AAPI executives at Fortune 500 companies share how growing up in Asian households helped them climb the corporate ladder

• The number of AAPI CEOs at Fortune 500 and S&P 500 jumped from 12 to 40 between 2004 and 2021.
• Two AAPI executives at Fortune 500 companies explain how their heritage helped them excel.

When David Kang was growing up, his Chinese parents stressed the importance of assimilating into American culture. As a result, he didn't embrace his Asian roots throughout his childhood and early 20s.

Today, 40-year-old Kang sees the importance of blending his worlds, especially as an executive at the financial firm Capital One, where he's worked for almost seven years. In fact, his Asian background has played a key role in his professional success, Kang said.

"My Asian heritage is an indelible part of who I am," he told Insider. "I work with a lot of talented individuals who are going through a similar journey of immigration, integration, and career-building that my parents did."

The number of Asian American CEOs at Fortune 500 and S&P 500 companies has steadily increased over the past 18 years, but still remains low: A 2021 report from the staffing and recruiting firm Crist Kolder Associates found that there were 40 Asian American CEOs last year out of a total of 682 executives, compared to 12 in 2004 (the first year the study examined). As executives like Kang take on leadership roles — and make up the fastest-growing racial group in the US — they're sharing stories about how their heritage helped them climb the corporate ladder.

"I have strived to be a visible mentor for our Asian community," Kang said. "As a leader, I've made an effort to recognize, elevate, and make space on my team for those who may feel limited in some other way."

Insider spoke with Kang and Tiffany Xingyu Wang, both executives of Fortune 500 companies, who shared how their experiences shaped them into the leaders they are today and how they are working to increase representation at their respective companies.

Tiffany Xingyu Wang, CMO at Spectrum Labs

When Wang was growing up in Shanghai, China, her family's motto was: "There is always a way." Living in a city of nearly 26 million people, she said there was fierce competition, first in school and then in the workforce. Every time she failed academically or professionally, her parents encouraged her to try harder and remember their saying.

Today, 34-year-old Wang holds a top leadership position as the chief marketing officer at Spectrum Labs, a platform that uses Al to try and solve online toxicity issues like hate speech and racism. She's been at the company for two and a half years and said embracing her Asian heritage has made her more resilient, open, and empathetic.

"These values are core to the reason I am dedicated to building a safer and more equitable web," she said.

Additionally, Wang's parents taught her the value of empathy when achieving success. "Over the years, I started to appreciate what my parents actually wanted me to learn: excellence and empathy," Wang told Insider."The way to achieve excellence is to use empathy to find solutions — I think of my job the same way."

David Kang, senior vice president of financial services at Capital One

Kang said his parents also stressed the importance of education when he was growing up. They immigrated to the US to pursue graduate degrees and worked hard to become fluent in English, he said.

"A similar work ethic permeated life at home: Growing up, I was not expected to do any household chores, nor was I expected to speak Chinese, but just stay focused on learning," he said.

Kang added that honoring his roots and rediscovering his heritage is a continuous process, especially as he raises his children, who are both under the age of 3. "It's been easiest to maintain traditions and introduce my two young boys to the culture through food and language," he said.

He hopes that by embracing his heritage, he'll help other people at his company from diverse backgrounds — Asian and otherwise — understand that it's important to acknowledge their roots. "I'm hopeful that I create some sense of understanding, recognition, and familiarity," he said.