In this episode we hear from more recent returnees about their motives for heading overseas and the kinds of career opportunities that were open to them there. For many it enabled them to attain levels within their industries that would have been off limits to them had they stayed here. 

We hear from Julia Arnott-Neenee who, after an afternoon of applying for jobs around the world, ultimately found herself as global lead social strategist for HP based out of San Diego. We also talk to Polly Fryer, non-fiction production executive for Netflix who is away from the company’s headquarters in Hollywood and instead working remotely from Auckland. 

Joel Kefali, acclaimed TV commercial and music video director, tells us about the decision to move his family to Los Angeles and the opportunities that opened up once they landed. Finally we hear from Jarrod Kerr, an economist for Kiwibank who spent years trying to return home but struggled to find his place after more than a decade of working in global financial markets.

While their individual experiences vary, our returnees have gained a few things in common from their time working internationally. They’ve all had invaluable exposure to new networks of brilliant minds, they’ve operated in dynamic global workspaces, worked at a scale they hadn’t previously known and secured roles that simply don’t exist back home. 

These are the people who were frustrated by the lack of opportunities in New Zealand and quietly left our shores in order to make a big impact on the world.

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