Career Transitions

This episode, Vanessa I and Vanessa T speak with Kenneth Chan, former McDonalds China Chief Executive Officer. Kenneth is a seasoned CEO and organizational leader with over 30 years of leadership experience.

Kenneth was McDonald’s Chief Executive Officer for China and Division President for the Greater China region between 2009 to 2015. More recently from 2016 to 2021, Kenneth served as an equity and operating partner for McDonald’s Singapore and Malaysia, and the Managing Director of McDonald’s Singapore.

Kenneth shares his views about what it means to step out of our comfort zones to take on new, exciting, and uncomfortable challenges. He describes himself as a reluctant leader, but how he benefited from helpful nudges from trusted mentors and leaders. He discusses how taking various challenging assignments gave him the valuable experience and exposure to lead through the COVID pandemic. 

We were inspired to speak with Kenneth and learn how his diverse experiences, leadership humility and focus on people helped him navigate through various business and career transitions.  

Recommended readings: 

·   Asians in Charge- Kenneth Chan
·   Commentary: Are Singaporeans losing their competitive edge by staying within their comfort zones? – Kenneth Chan
·  Outstanding Chief/ Senior Executive (Overseas) Award, Kenneth Chan 

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

In this season finale, we reflect on our journey as a fun and fearless team! What started out as an idea formed over coffee, has now transformed into a full podcast series. 

We remember our journey of creation and innovation- a process that stretched our thinking beyond our everyday. It opened our eyes to new ways of working, learning new technologies, and forming new networks. 

Through this journey, we appreciated more profoundly the complex human emotions present during career transitions- the worries, anxieties, hopes and joys. We experienced the innate strength within each one of us to transform at critical moments in life and career. 

Our journey of a thousand miles began with one small step. We hope that our journey of exploration will inspire you to take that one small, courageous step forward towards your dream.

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

We speak with Dr. Wendy Tan, Managing Partner of The Flame Center, Author of the book Wholeness in a Disruptive World.

Wendy shares candidly what it takes to become an entrepreneur, and the mindset shift and the skills building associated to it.

She also gives us a glimpse into the book she recently published and the very practical methodology she created to find wholeness and be present in every moment.

Connect with Wendy

Wendy’s book: Wholeness in a Disruptive World: Pearls of Wisdom from East and West, Marshall Cavendish International (Asia) 

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

We look at what it means to boldly break boundaries at the workplace!

We speak with Karen Chan, Group Chief Commercial Officer, Air Asia Aviation Group. She shares her experience being fearlessly bold and having a growth mindset to embark on challenging career transitions. Always one to take on bold moves, Karen shares how she has surrounded herself with strong mentors and family support. 

Finally, Karen shares her thoughts about transitioning into advisory board roles, and how she’s embraced this new experience. We were inspired by Karen’s candor, focus, and boldness in making these crucial transitions. 

Connect with Karen Chan

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

We are thrilled to speak Tamara Sigerhall, Client Partner at Korn Ferry Singapore.

We will explore a theme that is at the core of career transition: how to align your move with your purpose and values?

Tamara defines it beautifully as her “North Star”.

She also talks about the support network that is needed, what she called her “squad” and pays tribute to the ones who supported her.

Connect with Tamara

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

We explore the importance of adopting a mindful approach and the benefits of executive coaching during career transitions.

We speak with Gaston Schmitz, executive and founder coach at the Asian Leadership Institute. He shares more about how a mindful approach to managing our emotions can help elevate self-awareness during times of transitions. He also shares his thoughts on executive coaching, and the transformational impact it can have on leaders.

Connect with Gaston Schmitz

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

We explore the importance of elevating one’s level of self-awareness during career transitions. 

We speak with Jean Balfour, Founder and Managing Director, Bailey Balfour. She shares about the transformational journey through the change curve – understanding where you’re at in the journey can help you make sense of when and how you can best be supported. She also shares the importance of vulnerability and compassion through transitions. 

Connect with Jean

Listen to Making Sense of Work Podcast by Jean Balfour:
Apple Podcasts
Spotify

Recommended Readings

·       On Death and Dying - Elizabeth Kubler Ross 

·       Growth Mindset - Carol Dweck

·       Self-Compassion - Kristin Neff

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)

We’re delighted to launch our brand-new podcast, Career Transitions, hosted by Vanessa Teo and Vanessa Iloste. 

We are HR leaders who are passionate about helping others achieve their full potential. Over the years, we have coached many people through life and career transitions, which has ignited our interest in the topic. We are fascinated with the science behind change, and curious to understand the trends and patterns of successful transitions. 

We will bring together guests from all walks of life who have been through crucial career stages. We hope that you will be inspired by learning from the experiences of others- business leaders, executive coaches, and experts. 

Connect with us on LinkedIn: 

·       Vanessa Iloste (Host)

·       Vanessa Teo (Host) 

·       Aaron Wu (Producer)