Abstract In recent years, the Macau financial sector has experienced rapid change and development. As this sector, especially the banking industry, has a significant influence on the local economy, high quality service has increasingly become an issue, which, in turn, has increased awareness of the importance of effective management. In this study, the researcher identified a number of qualities that are widely recognized as characteristics of effective managers, such as banking knowledge, practical skills, and attitudes towards management, and then profiled and interviewed 15 randomly selected managers from various backgrounds in the Macau financial sector in an attempt to ascertain how they measured up to these standards. Analysis of this data revealed that managers in Macau compared favorably to these standards, demonstrating a recognition of the need to continually enhance their knowledge and understanding of finance, banking products and law, as well as how to engender positive working attitudes and communication skills in both themselves and their employees. Other similarities observed amongst these managers were an intense loyalty to their banks and the fact that they all started their banking career at entry level, ensuring an intimate familiarity with daily basic banking operations as well as with the daily challenges staff at all levels face, which naturally tends to result in the avoidance of unreasonable demands.