From Hotel Management to Financial Crime – Debra Sun

For Debra Sun, a Diploma in Hotel Management was just the beginning.

Debra arrived at PIHMS in 2011 as an international student from China, graduating in 2013. More than a decade later, she is working at ASB as a Financial Crime Investigation Analyst, a career that might seem a world away from hotel management, but one that has been built on many of the same skills she first developed at PIHMS.

“I had always been interested in hotel management, so when I decided to study overseas, PIHMS really caught my attention,” Debra says. “I liked the combination of academic study and industry placements. You could learn something in the classroom and then put it into practice in a real hospitality environment.”

New Plymouth was another part of the appeal. At the time, there were relatively few Chinese students in the city, which encouraged Debra to step outside her comfort zone, communicate in English every day and adapt to a completely different environment.

Her time at PIHMS gave her experience across different areas of hotel operations, from kitchen and food and beverage to front office and housekeeping, before moving into management, events and duty manager training. Her industry placements at Spencer on Byron Hotel and Peppers Resorts helped lead to her first role after graduating, at SkyCity.

She began in frontline hospitality, working as a waitress and restaurant cashier before progressing into team leader roles. She then moved into the back office as a Credit Controller, followed by roles in customer compliance and eventually as a Senior Customer Compliance Analyst, specialising in AML/CFT, customer risk and financial crime compliance.

After around 10 years at SkyCity, Debra made another significant move this time into banking. She is now an ASB Financial Crime Investigation Analyst, investigating complex customer activity, identifying potential financial crime risks and helping strengthen the bank’s standards and controls.

“It has been quite a journey from hotel management to financial crime,” she says. “But many of the skills I first developed through PIHMS communication, problem-solving, working with different people and putting theory into practice have stayed with me throughout my career.”

One career highlight came early on, when Debra was part of the SkyCity team that served Chinese President Xi Jinping during his visit to New Zealand in 2014.

Today, she particularly enjoys the investigative nature of her work understanding complex situations, identifying risks and finding ways to improve processes. She is also continuing to learn, currently completing Legal Executive Studies through Open Polytechnic with the goal of finishing by the end of 2026.

While Debra’s career has moved well beyond hospitality, she believes the industry can provide an incredibly strong foundation.

“Hospitality is a great industry for people who enjoy working with others and want to develop strong communication, leadership and problem-solving skills,” she says. “It can also open doors to many different career paths.”

For Debra, that has certainly been true.

“Your first qualification does not define your whole career. Keep learning, stay curious and be willing to step outside your comfort zone. You never know where those experiences may take you.”

And New Plymouth remains an important part of that story. 

“Taranaki was an amazing place to start my life in New Zealand. I loved the peaceful lifestyle, the beautiful surroundings and the sense of community.”

It also holds an even more personal connection. Debra met her husband at PIHMS. He is also a graduate and has continued his career in hospitality, now working as Director of Finance at New Zealand’s largest hotel.

From international student to hotel professional, compliance specialist and financial crime investigator, Debra’s journey is a powerful reminder that a career path rarely runs in a straight line and that the skills gained along the way can take you further than you ever imagined.