Andres Herrnandez Studio
- Former Wall Street executive Leona Qi is now president of the private aviation company VistaJet US.
- Her advice for asking for raises or promotions is to demonstrate your worth with data and facts.
- Women in particular shouldn't be afraid to ask for what they deserve, she said.
Leona Qi knows a thing or two about leveling up. After a decade of working on Wall Street, she transitioned to the private aviation industry, becoming the managing director of Global Jet Capital before taking on her current role as the president of VistaJet US.
For those hoping to level up their own careers by asking for a raise or a promotion, Qi's career advice echoes what other experts have previously shared with Business Insider: demonstrate your exceptional achievements and value to the company with quantifiable data.
"You can't just ask for more. You have to present why, you have to present your value to the business," Qi told BI. "Whether you're asking about a title, promotion, or maybe more money, I always think you need to be very good at what you do and presenting the facts."
It also helps, Qi said, to have a genuine interest and passion in the work you do.
"I see a lot of young people nowadays starting at a job because they want a job or they need a job. They have no obvious interest in the job that they're in," she said. "Money is obviously important, but I think it's very important to find one that is your passion and then to put in the hard work."
'Don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve'
As someone who's risen to the highest levels in the male-dominated fields of finance and aviation, Qi is especially interested in helping women advance their careers.
A 2023 "Women in the Workplace" report by McKinsey & Company and Lean In found that women hold only 28% of C-suite positions across industries. Since many of those who fly on private jets are C-suite finance executives, VistaJet's client base is largely male.
Qi has made it her goal to grow VistaJet's client base from 5% women to 25% — a target that becomes more attainable as more women climb the corporate ladder by securing raises and promotions.
"Ultimately, when you're really good at something, I think the results show," Qi said. "But for women specifically, don't be afraid to ask for what you deserve."