If you need to be convinced about the merits of stepping out of your comfort zone and broadening your experience beyond Singapore, look no further than the career graph of Standard Chartered's head of retail banking in Malaysia, Ms Lai Pei-Si.

The 20-year Stanchart veteran and mother of four has one of the most important portfolios in a market that is key for the London-headquartered, Asia-focused lender. But her journey to that role didn't happen by chance.