Spotlighting Women Leaders: Sands China’s Gabriella Chang Points to Versatile Learning as a Key to Advancement

During Women’s History Month 2026, Sands is featuring the women who help drive the company’s success and exemplify its culture of advancement and leadership. Gabriella Chang joined Sands China in 2022 and now serves as senior vice president of security.

Over the course of her career, Chang has worked in diverse fields including systems, translation, procurement, tourism, communications and public relations, journalism, risk assessment, due diligence, property management, and security solutions and services. She attributes her success in the security leadership role at Sands China to this wide-ranging background, coupled with a focus on building a culture of trust and collaboration among Team Members.

Describe your role and experience at Sands China.

“In my position overseeing security and business continuity management, I draw on more than 25 years of industry experience, including a background in risk assessment with a global perspective anchored in Asia. My responsibilities span development of crisis response strategies, recovery plans and resilience frameworks for 65 units across more than 30 departments to address challenges and potential threats head-on. Under my stewardship, robotic process automation was adopted alongside bespoke systems and equipment, replacing manual workflows with completely paperless solutions; this also facilitated the growth of my security system and project team in the design and implementation of developmental and enhancement initiatives.

“My approach has been to transform the traditional security model by reshaping the work culture – grounded in the philosophy of treating colleagues like family and treating family as friends, while focusing on the integration of cutting-edge security systems. I am like other leaders aiming to build a team of engaged and confident individuals and empower them to embrace a new era in security by setting new challenges and delivering tailored solutions for business continuity management, physical security, security systems and project execution. This revamped approach has earned high recognition from customers and across internal departments.

“In addition to my security and business continuity oversight role, I was appointed executive sponsor of our EmpowHER Team Member resource group committee in 2024. I fully understand the struggles of women juggling multiple roles. Leveraging the unique blend of strength and gentleness inherent in women, I’ve worked together with our members in the EmpowHER steering committee to build platforms for communication and learning, and to champion the values of proactivity, mutual support, accountability and sharing. Through these efforts, I aim to foster development among women and nurture a harmonious, cohesive workplace and lifestyle.”

What resources, philosophies and experiences helped you build a successful career?

“Working in diverse industries, I’ve been able to build a versatile career by being open-minded and dedicated to inclusive growth. I’ve immersed myself in every role – from mastering business to understanding elements of criminal and client psychology, as well as delving into sociology – all of which have been key to my development.

“When setbacks strike, I quickly turn to problem-solving. A highlight was designing pandemic contingency plans for Macao’s health care system, campuses, integrated resorts, hotels, and commercial and residential buildings. My landmark achievement was transitioning a multinational firm’s Macao branch from being a family-run operation to one operating according to global standards, which drove a 133% monthly revenue surge. True success, however, came from fostering a culture of integrity that turned a disengaged team into a united, supportive cohort.”

What are your ideas for empowering women in their careers?

“I would like to share the following advice:

“Champion versatile learning: Share cross-industry insights to bravely answer challenges and encourage stepping out of comfort zones.

“Turn setbacks into solutions: Lead by example by channeling frustrations into action and guiding teams to tackle challenges in a proactive manner.

“Build a culture of trust and collaboration: Prioritize team cohesion over profits; foster a sense of belonging to turn disengagement into commitment.

“Cultivate a low profile in conduct and a high profile in work: In your conduct, be humble, listen actively and connect with others respectfully. In your work, deliver results, publicly recognize team contributions and drive impactful projects.

“Offer tailored support: Support women with work-life balance and honor their dual strengths of grit and empathy to thrive in career and life.

“Mentor youth on practical skills, equip staff with tools to embrace new challenges and guide everyone to become accountable individuals. Remember that every individual has their own strengths. As a manager, you should also be keen to identify your Team Members’ merits, because developing from them often makes management much easier. My success is also owed to the unique strengths of those around me; they constantly inspire me, especially Dave Sun. We are surrounded by the shrewdest and most experienced superiors, and I have been inspired by Grant Chum, Dr. Wilfred Wong, Cetin Tanisman and the Sands China executive management team.

“Finally, to my colleagues: Don’t forget, I am one of your family members.”