After relocating from the Solomon Islands, HEINEKEN expat partner Eva Huang was at a loss over what to do in Papua New Guinea. This uncertainty over her future continued until she spoke with a coach.
Remote location
“My partner and I had spent almost three years in the Solomon Islands. The capital Honiara is very small. There’s just one main road and less than 90,000 people. Nonetheless, I managed to find a job with Solomon Breweries (Heineken) as the innovation manager,” says Eva, who had previously worked in the marketing department of Unilever in Taipei, her hometown. “It was an unforgettable experience to work with local people and get to know their culture. I learned so much.”
Quick relocation
“Although everyone imagines that life in Port Moresby would be quite similar, due to the short geographic distance, in reality they’re different. We made the move quickly as we needed to relocate before the borders closed due to the pandemic. I was very unsure of what I would do.”
Reassuring conversations
“I returned to Taiwan for a few months in 2020 and when I came back to Papua New Guinea, I sent an email to Global Connection to ask for support. The consultants were very helpful. Josien Berkenvelder introduced me to a coach, Susanne Cordes, who had lived in Taiwan for many years. She understood my culture and my struggles and we developed a great rapport. Talking to her was really reassuring. It felt good to know there’s someone listening, someone who can ease my worries.”
Don’t hesitate
“I was worried about the future but Susanne helped to pull me back to the present and see how I could move forward positively. This coaching experience was something new for me. I had never really heard of life coaching, and it’s not something common in Taiwan. So I was a little doubtful that a life coach would actually help me. But at a time when I felt really down, she turned everything around. If there are other expat partners who are not convinced that coaching can make a difference, I would say don’t hesitate to avail of this support. If I’d known the impact it would have on my life, I would have used it sooner.”
Photo: Eva trekking in PNG
