In this latest edition of ‘Your Voice’, a series dedicated to highlighting the stories of Tech Data, a TD SYNNEX company women leaders, I had the opportunity to speak to Amanda Wong, Director of Logistics, APJ who has an interesting experiencing on embracing cultural differences.
Born and raised in Sydney Australia, Amanda has had an illustrious 20-year career at Tech Data. She started from humble beginnings as a Maintenance Customer Service Coordinator for GCC in Sydney, Australia, and now she is based in Hong Kong, where she has been living for the last 14 years.
Outside of work, Amanda is kept busy being a Mum to a boy who constantly keeps her on her toes. She enjoys food, travelling and shopping as well as spending time with the family.
Amanda feels privileged to have been the given the opportunity to take on roles that have helped build her skills and contributed to her professional experience. Below is my conversation with Amanda around embracing cultural differences.
Zeena: I am sure moving to another country would be exciting but cultural differences may take a little while to get used to. Moving to Hong Kong would have highlighted the many cultural differences between Australia and Hong Kong. What are two to three key cultural differences that you have experienced and seen?
Amanda: Aside from the first obvious one which is language — where the main language in Hong Kong is Cantonese, followed by English. So some local terms or slang often get lost in translation. Australians also tend to be more direct and like to use humor to build rapport, while “Hong Kongers” tend to be a little more reserved until they get to know you better. Secondly, the other significant difference is lifestyle, as Hong Kong is densely populated and fast paced compared to Sydney, which is more laidback with a lot more open space.
Zeena: Share with us one to two cultural differences that you appreciate.
Amanda: I appreciate that Hong Kong convenience and efficiency. That said, I also miss the relaxed atmosphere of Sydney and the openness when you meet people.
Zeena: What were some of the challenges you have experienced?
Amanda: My first real challenge was missing my family and getting use to smaller spaces and a lack of personal space in Hong Kong.
Zeena: How did you overcome some of these challenges?
Amanda: Luckily, we live in an age where we can easily facetime people, so it definitely helped when I missed my family. But when you decide to move to a new country, you really have to immerse yourself into the culture. You need to respect the culture and the traditions and hang out with the locals. I have met some great people here who have now become my closest friends.
Zeena: Should moving to another country be part of one’s career development plan?
Amanda: Honestly, it may not be for everyone, it really depends on what you want. For me I am thankful that I was lucky enough to be given the opportunity to move with the company. I have learnt and grown both professionally and personally from this experience and do not regret anything at all. I learned to be more resourceful, and I also picked up a lot of different skills to build up my career.
Zeena: What advice do you have for people wanting to move to and work in other countries with Tech Data?
Amanda: If the opportunity arises, go for it! You may face some challenges along the way but moving to a new country is exciting and rewarding at the same time! For me I was able to expand my network, while experiencing a different culture and exploring new places.
I loved Amanda’s positivity, as well as her desire to keep learning and growing.
Thank you, Amanda for speaking with me.
