With a name like "Anastasia," you might think she’s of royal European descent. But that doesn’t exactly describe Anastasia (Stacey) Leung. Ms. Leung (Stacey) is actually of Asian descent. She’s also a petite and vivacious woman with a magnetic personality. And if that’s not enough, she is the personification of diversity.

Born in Hong Kong to Chinese parents and the middle child of three children, Stacey first tasted diversity at the tender age of 12. That was when she and her younger sister journeyed to boarding school in England. Despite the difficulty of being separated from her parents and another sibling—and despite the fact that she and her sister were the "odd ones out" in their school—this experience proved invaluable to Stacey. Not only did she blossom academically and cement her quest for learning, she also grew in character, self-reliance, and discipline.

After completing her secondary school work, Stacey thought she was interested in either engineering or medicine. She chose an engineering path. While in England, Stacey completed her bachelor’s degree in Engineering from the University of London and the Imperial College of Science and Technology. Top student among 150 classmates in the first year examination, recipient of a three-year academic scholarship, and graduating first in her class with a GPA of 4.0, Stacey clearly distinguished herself in her major.

It was at this point, however, that Stacey came to a new realization. "I couldn’t see myself being an engineer for the rest of my life," she said. So, in 1986, now totally conditioned to living abroad even though she missed her family, Stacey decided to pursue a different path. She entered the University of New England in Sydney, Australia where in only 11 months she received a Masters in Financial Management. Again distinguishing herself academically and intellectually, Stacey graduated with Distinction and High Honor.

Stacey was obviously energized by her love of accounting and finance, and the people she would be able to work with in that field. Later, she would add "Certified Public Accountant (CPA)" to her already impressive credentials, not only in Australia, but also in Hong Kong and the United States – and in Georgia were she moved in 1998.

On her journey to Atlanta, Georgia where she lives with her husband and two young daughters today, Stacey grew as a manager and leader through many diverse experiences that would be the envy of most any business person. For example, she worked as a Senior Accountant and Auditor with Arthur Andersen & Company in Hong Kong as well as a Deputy Manager and Auditor with Ernst & Young. Joining The Coca-Cola Company in 1989, she was hired into the Corporate Auditing group. In 1996, Stacey was selected to go to Japan for a key assignment in the Company’s largest division. There she was responsible for a major re-engineering project.

"I was the only woman manager at that time," Stacey said, "and the question everyone asked was ‘why.’ I was also very young. But, through hard work and the development of the team I worked with, the assignment ended up very well. I was accepted as a ‘local’ versus a ‘foreigner’ and our team became very successful. I even went back five times to Japan after that!"

Earlier in her career, while attending a training program in Chicago, she met a man named George who would change her personal life forever. That man is now Stacey’s husband and together they have two young daughters. It is clear that family life is the top priority for Stacey. If there is a conflict between work and career, Stacey puts family first. Working parents everywhere would probably consider her a role model when she says, "I think women should not make any excuses when it comes to their kids." If you have to leave a business meeting to pick up the children, then you should be able to say so. Of course doing a good job and working hard for your company is a given, but so is the need to be honest about your other responsibilities. Too many people worry about the ‘face time’ they have in the office when the important thing is what you produce, what you contribute. This is as true for men as it is for women."

With 450 people in her current organization at Coca-Cola Fountain, a division of Coca-Cola North America, Stacey might put herself on a pedestal. But she doesn’t. She considers herself a "real person, not an ivory tower executive." This is key to how she sees herself as a leader and feeling good about herself. "Who you are is who you are," Stacey says philosophically. "I think the team can be perfect, but not any one individual. You need diversity on your team—diversity of gender, experience, background, and thought. The best leaders win the hearts of those they lead and I think women leaders do this especially well."

As Stacey shares her views of leadership, she appears wise beyond her years. Some of her views include:

• "Women need to stand their ground."
• "You don’t know how strong you are until you get in hot water." (This is one of Stacey’s favorite quotes, called the ‘tea bag quote’ and attributed to Eleanor Roosevelt.)
• "Look for unconventional opportunities to move your career along."
• "Learn from the good as well as the bad leaders with whom you come in contact. Just don’t do what the bad ones do."
• "Update your inventory frequently. Step back, analyze your skill set as well as your value as a corporate asset. It may even be helpful to put yourself in the job market to test the waters of your current value."

Besides her obvious wit, wisdom, and wealth of experience and knowledge, Anastasia (Stacey) Leung is a fascinating study in contemporary culture. She’s the consummate professional career woman. A dedicated wife and mother—extremely intelligent, yet down to earth—plans for the future while trying to live each day to the fullest—globally savvy but enjoys the simple pleasures of a Southern lifestyle.

It would be difficult to find a nicer or better role model for the next generation of women of achievement than Stacey Leung. Coca-Cola Fountain and her family are fortunate indeed.