We hear a lot these days about ‘finding our purpose’; another way of saying ‘listen to your heart’
to discover what you really care about. It sounds simple, but we’ve often forgotten how to do it.
Sue Adams
Sue Adams
My career story - so far...
Starting out:
I left Oxford University in the late-80's with a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics (PPE) and a place in the British Civil Service which I deferred to take a gap year working in London in a charity ad agency and as a semi-professional dancer.
Within 6 months I'd pivoted to work with one of the ad agency's clients as a Special Events fund raiser.
Law and Media:
Frustrated at the lack of career path in the non-profit sector, in my mid-20's I headed to Law School in Chancery Lane, London. and four years later I was a solicitor with a City firm specialising in Media Law, working with agencies, film producers, writers, animators and musicians.
Realising that I enjoyed working with clients more than the law itself, I moved in-house to be Acting Head of Legal and Business Affairs for a TV company a large media group.
Moving to Asia: currency crashes and crisis
When a role as General Manager for Asia opened in Singapore, my mother's home country, I moved to Asia at the the beginning of the Asian Financial Crisis and watched the small P&L for which I was responsible become smaller still.
MBA and a return to a scaling business:
It was a good time to take a sabbatical and, realising I lacked crucial understanding about the people aspects of doing business, I took my MBA at INSEAD Business School in Singapore and France .
My return in 2001 coincided with the company's launch of the Idol series and as American Idol became a huge hit, I was tasked with growing the Asian business in keeping with the demand for Idol and other reality TV in Asia and I was promoted to Regional MD.
Growing from 2 - 6 offices across Asia with little resource took a stupid amount of travel, a fantastic team and the support of coaches and mentors who sparked my interest in the philosophy of leadership and how to be human in the vicissitudes of leading global businesses. It also took its toll physically and on my social life.
Finding the Golden Thread:
In 2006 while pregnant with my son, my coach at the time helped me realise that the most rewarding part of each of my jobs had been supporting people to navigate difficult problems and transitions.
As much as I loved the fun of TV and lovely colleagues, what was fascinating for me was the world of people development. And so I left my corporate career for coach training and planted the first seeds of Bamboo Being.
Board experience
I was a board member for several of the Pearson and Bertelsmann Asian subsidiaries and continue to serve on the boards and advisory boards of non- profit and for-profit enterprises in the field of learning and development.
Education and professional training
My BA is in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Oxford University and an MBA from INSEAD. I qualified as a lawyer in the UK and later as a Mediator in Singapore.
Accredited with the International Coach Federation at PCC level, I have been trained and certified in a variety of coaching methodologies including Results Coaching Systems and Integral Coaching. I have a post Graduate diploma in positive business psychology accredited by the National Council of Psychotherapists, UK, and am trained as both a Pilates teacher and a Yoga teacher
Fields of interest
I partner people making changes in work and life and my role is to help turn stressful transitions into opportunities for growth.
I have a track record working with gifted and talented individuals in technology companies, professional services firms, medicine, academia and government. My intention is always to support my clients to cultivate greater clarity about what matters, courage to throw themselves in the fray whole-heartedly and the capacity to keep sustaining their best game in whatever they are dedicated to do.
Personal Details
I am of British and Chinese descent and live in Singapore with my partner and teenage son. I have lived, worked and studied in 5 countries and continue to work and study across Asia and beyond. As well as music, dance and forms of mainstream art I am often to be found exploring in the fringes to see what might be useful and interesting for my clients.