C.Y. CHONG was born in Malaysia of Chinese parentage. Upon completion of his schooling at a Jesuit-run school in Kuala Lumpur, he set off for London. Qualifying as a chartered accountant, Chiew worked in the Far East and in Europe where he held senior financial positions at a number of major international corporations. In 1991 he decided he needed a change, and, almost by accident, he joined WWF – Worldwide Fund for Nature, where he remained for several years, leaving only in 2012.