Sunny Chen is a Finance professional turned education entrepreneur, with nearly 20 years of experience in financial services. She most recently served as Finance COO for Nomura’s Asia excluding Japan region. A Fellow of the Chartered Institute of Management Accountants, Sunny has worked and studied across the US, UK, Japan and China, bringing a truly international perspective to her work.

Born in a small village in southern China, Sunny immigrated to the United States at age 14 with little English and limitless determination. She became salutatorian of her high school and earned a full-tuition Posse scholarship to Wheaton College (MA), where she studied economics and spent a transformative year abroad in Japan and the UK. That experience led to her first job in Tokyo and sparked a lifelong passion for global learning. Her story touched a generous Wheaton alum couple who later named a scholarship fund in Sunny’s name, a gesture she received with deep gratitude and has carried forward as a source of inspiration.

Sunny is currently pursuing an Executive MBA at Cambridge Judge Business School, continuing her commitment to personal growth and lifelong learning. She has also completed executive education at Wharton, Oxford, INSEAD and the University of Hong Kong, building lasting friendships and insights along the way.

Sunny offers coaching informed by training at INSEAD, helping clients unlock new possibilities through reflection, clarity and self-discovery. Her coaching philosophy, rooted in resilience, grit and gratitude, also shapes Iliani’s approach to student development.

As a mother of two boys, Sunny understands the hopes and concerns parents carry. She knows firsthand the power of education to transform lives and mindset, especially when paired with the right support.

Through Iliani, Sunny brings together her global network, personal journey, and coaching to help young leaders grow into confident, thoughtful, and empathetic individuals. She believes that when self-motivation, passion and hard work are met with guidance and care, students can unlock new possibilities for themselves and for the world around them.