From China to the world – How Jane Sun leans on her global experience to drive Trip.com’s growth, culture

[SINGAPORE] When travel giant Trip.com Group’s CEO Jane Sun was a sophomore in Peking University Law School, she was chosen for an opportunity to study at the University of Florida.

This was a “very transformational” experience which exposed her to the world outside her home country of China. It also introduced her to people who would influence her leadership philosophy.

To pay for her tuition, Sun worked 40 hours a week at two jobs, earning the minimum wage of S$3 per hour – but there was no money left over even for milk or bread. She relied on the generosity of a professor’s family, saying: “They took me in and treated me as their own child.”

When Sun offered to support them in their later years, they instead told her to help other international students – which she has since achieved by establishing a scholarship with her alma mater.

“My life with them is very important for me,” Sun said. “It laid out what kind of person I want to be: very global, loving, kind.”

Now, with more than two decades at Trip.com under her belt, she spends half her time in Asia and the rest outside it, helping to drive the group’s globalisation, which is “gradually taking off”, said this year’s winner of the Outstanding Overseas Executive at the Singapore Business Awards.

After graduation, Sun worked in Silicon Valley. But when a position as chief financial officer (CFO) at Trip.com (then known as Ctrip) opened up, she took it up.

In making this choice, she had asked herself three questions. First, which continent offered better opportunities? Being bilingual and bicultural, Sun believed that she could use her understanding of her home country while acting as a bridge for foreign partners.

Second, what industry did she want to work in? The demand for travel was growing, she noted, adding: “Because particularly for us, in Confucius’ teaching, it’s better to travel 10,000 miles than to read 10,000 books.” Having experienced a wider worldview from her international experience, she also wanted to help others gain a global perspective. Sun also saw the power of travel to promote understanding and reduce conflict between people from across borders.

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Finally, after she chose a location and industry, she asked herself: “Which company has the best chance to win?” The team at Ctrip’s focus, work ethic and dedication to providing the best products and service convinced her.

Taking initiative

In those early days, the company was growing rapidly. Sun noted that this created many loose ends that had to be tied up.

“Nobody was allocating sufficient resources to take care of it,” she said. “So whenever I thought there is (room for) improvement, I just jumped in to fix it.”

She added: “That’s your opportunity. People will see your contribution.”

When the company transacted with cash in the beginning, delivery teams would be sent out to collect payments and issue tickets, Sun recalled. “They wore shorts, slippers, T-shirts – and our customers were like: ‘I’m not going to give them $1,000. Who are you?’.” These staff would sometimes be targeted by thieves; some would go drinking and play mahjong after work – “and sometimes they will lose the money”. So Sun helped to design uniforms and identification for staff, created ways to secure cash against theft, and set up procedures for money to be turned into the office on the same day.

As CFO, every quarter, Sun would also take earnings calls near the airport, jump on a plane, attend a roadshow, and hop on another plane in the evening, she recalled. The next morning, breakfast meetings, lunch meetings and more flights awaited.

All these efforts paid off, as Ctrip grew into a small but well-respected travel company. Today, it is an international tech-powered travel powerhouse with a market capitalisation of more than US$30 billion.

As Trip.com’s CEO, Sun’s days are equally packed. Multiple-flight days are still a mainstay. On non-travel days, she is in the office before 7 am, and, because of the different timezones, she works till midnight.

Despite what her habits may suggest, Sun is a firm believer in work-life balance. She enjoys running and tries to complete a marathon across a week – 10 to 15 km on Tuesdays and Thursdays, and a half marathon on the weekends. While her own children are now grown, she also encourages employees to spend a few hours every day and the weekends with their families.

Championing women

Sun is particularly invested in supporting women, in and outside the workplace. She has noticed that while women are increasingly succeeding in school and make up a growing portion of the workforce, those who rise to the top still tend to be men.

Sun herself is no stranger to being overlooked. She recalled attending a meeting in Asia as Trip.com’s CFO, together with its other leaders. While her male colleagues were greeted politely, those in the room “turned around and walked away” when she entered, mistaking her for a secretary. Another example was when she attended a meeting of CEOs in Silicon Valley, and others in the room asked her: “Where is your husband?” Sun said: “I’m (one of) the very few female CEOs in a high-tech industry, so I feel tremendous responsibility to pave the way for our young leadership team.”

She also focuses on helping working women who are building families. For new mothers, Trip.com has set aside one billion yuan (S$188 million) for childcare subsidies. For those who pursued higher education and are worried about their ticking biological clocks, the group pays for their eggs to be frozen.

On a more individual level, Sun also encourages women to advocate for themselves. When she acknowledges their capabilities and contributions, some female staff’s response is that they still need to work hard for several more years before asking for a promotion, Sun said. Male employees are usually better at championing themselves. There is a gap in their behaviour, she said, adding that she tries to push women to recognise their own.

Today, women make up more than 50 per cent of Trip.com’s workforce, more than 40 per cent of its middle managers, and more than 30 per cent of its executives, Sun said, adding that there is room for improvement.

It is not that male leaders do not care about their female staff, but they have not experienced women’s issues, she said. So there must be women at the top level, to comprehensively support female workers.

Leading the charge

Sun is also passionate about leading the way in using technology. Trip.com has always been innovative, she said. When others were setting up retail stores, it built a centralised call centre. But it lagged when shifting trends meant that customers were switching to computers. So when the transition to smartphones happened, it was quick to adopt the new technology.

Now, artificial intelligence is set to be another game changer. Trip.com has adopted AI in its operations, as well as in customer-facing areas such as in its trip planning tool. It said earlier this year, ahead of TripGenie’s third anniversary, that TripGenie AI-assisted order volume on Trip.com increased by about 400 per cent year on year. The use of core TripGenie tools – such as hotel comparison, menu assistance and live translation – increased by around 300 per cent year on year.

Sun also continues to foster innovation. The “Baby Tiger” programme was developed as a way to “encourage (the group’s) young people to move fast”, matching Trip.com’s rapid expansion, she said.

Under the initiative, employees can receive funding, technological empowerment and manpower to pursue business projects. Some of these succeed and become products, while others become learning points for the future.

This provides opportunities for employees to quickly make mistakes, test the market and fine-tune their projects.

Looking back at her career at the group, Sun is proud to have helped to create a place with a good culture and high standards. She highlighted Trip.com’s ability to provide the best service to customers, support more medium-sized operators, and help its employees grow and progress in their careers.

She has received many accolades for her leadership, including being named one of Fortune’s Top 50 Most Powerful Women in Business for several years, and Forbes Asia’s Power Businesswomen in 2025.

On how to stand out as a leader, Sun laid out several points.

First, have a good global perspective. She gained this through her background of being born in Asia, venturing into the US, and growing her career in the travel industry. Second, have a clear vision for your company’s direction. Third, understand your strengths and weaknesses when you build a team. “Some leaders like to be surrounded with people like (them), but I always think you need to build a team with the people that complement you,” she said. “That way, you don’t have a blind spot.”