From diplomatic service to leading across Asia's most dynamic markets, Penny Burtt joins the Expat Playbook to unpack a career in which she most recently served as President, Southeast Asia at Boeing.

In a career spanning the business, government and nonprofit sectors, Penny Burtt has held leadership positions in the Asia-Pacific with global multinationals Visa Inc, the digital payments company and consulting firm McKinsey&Company, Stripe and Boeing. Penny led Australia’s leading centre for Asia engagement, Asialink at the University of Melbourne, as Group CEO.

A former senior diplomat, Penny represented Australia in Asia, and the United Nations in Geneva and New York. Penny is a passionate advocate for diversity and development, and has shared her expertise as an Executive Board Member with key business associations and nonprofits in Singapore, Australia and the United States.

In this conversation, Penny shares why Singapore offers significant career options, how to think about opportunities in APAC, the difference between leading with authority vs influence, and why defining yourself beyond your day job is the best career move.

Whether you are pivoting careers, building a business in Asia, or figuring out what comes next, this episode is for you.

This podcast episode was created in collaboration with the Singapore Global Network. Interested in joining a community centered around Singapore?

Join the Singapore Global Network (SGN), a 250,000-strong community of changemakers, professionals and friends across 175 countries. SGN exists to connect people to opportunities that Singapore and its network of members have to offer.

Chapters

0:00 | Intro

0:53 | Penny's career journey

3:57 | Why Singapore?

9:55 | Australia-Asia investment and data centres

11:05 | Navigating diverse Asian markets

15:58 | Building trust with partners in Asia

17:27 | The power of showing up and staying connected

19:23 | From diplomacy to the private sector

21:35 | Leadership: authority vs. influence

23:00 | Choosing tech and staying relevant in the AI era

27:12 | Three tips for an international career

31:30 | Rapid fire round

34:53 | Thank you

#ExpatPlaybook #Singapore #CareerPivot #Leadership #GlobalCareers

In this episode of the Expat Playbook, we sit down with Ronald Poon, a Hong Kong-born, New Zealand-raised innovation program manager who spent four years living and working across Montreal and Toronto before returning to Melbourne.

Ronald shares how a two-week university study tour to Canada about data science and AI sparked a journey that took him from Montreal to Toronto, where he joined a startup consultancy running hackathons and innovation programs for major corporates including McDonald's, HSBC, and BMO.

His highlight was helping large companies "think like a startup" through running accelerator-style programs where employees pitched solutions to C-suite executives.

We trace Ronald's path from a Bachelor of Law and Commerce at Monash, through his pandemic-era move to Canada, to his return to Melbourne's innovation space.

We discuss the cultural differences between North American and UK business cultures, and why building a network in a new country takes time.

Whether you're an early-career professional considering a move abroad or are curious about what working in Canada is like, we hope you'll enjoy the discussion.

🎧 Listen to the Expat Playbook to hear more about Ronald's journey. Join your hosts Alice Hong and Hayley Winchcombe weekly wherever you get your podcasts.

⏱️ Chapters:
1:02 Introduction & tennis talk
2:43 Growing up: Hong Kong to New Zealand
5:04 From Melbourne to Canada
10:16 Finding work & building a network
13:46 Business culture: North America vs Down Under
17:49 Innovation programs & hackathons
20:43 Looking ahead: next steps & Canada advice
24:24 Montreal's hidden gems
26:26 Rapid fire
30:42 Final advice & wrap-up

#ExpatPlaybook #Canada #Innovation

In this episode of the Expat Playbook, we sit down with Antonia Robson, one of the first recipients of DFAT's Professional Placements Program under Australia's Invested: Southeast Asia Economic Strategy to 2040.

Antonia spent three months embedded with Padang & Co in Singapore, working on innovation programs that connect corporates and startups to accelerate the green economy across Southeast Asia. Her highlight was working on the Sustainability Open Innovation Challenge, delivered on behalf of Enterprise Singapore, in which thirty multinational corporates sought technology solutions to defined business challenges.

We discuss why Singapore's efficiency, infrastructure and clear government vision on innovation make it a natural launching pad into Southeast Asia.

We also trace Antonia's path from a Master in International Relations at LSE, through consulting at Dragoman, KPMG and Asialink Business, to her current role.

Whether you're an early-career professional considering how to turn your degree into a career or an Australian curious about working on the ground in Southeast Asia, we hope you'll enjoy the discussion.

🎧 Listen to the Expat Playbook to hear more about Antonia's journey. Join your hosts Alice Hong and Hayley Winchcombe weekly wherever you get your podcasts.

#ExpatPlaybook #DFAT #SoutheastAsia #Singapore #GreenInnovation