About Us
The company was started by two former New Zealand trade diplomats, each with over 20 years’ experience living and working throughout the Asian region, in both private and public sector business related roles. We have been involved in international education for several years and more recently have undertaken specific research on internship opportunities in the region.
We have well established professional networks and connections with businesses, stakeholders and government/industry organizations throughout Asia. We leverage off these to secure reliable and reputable host companies and capable in-market representatives. Our goal is to provide students and professionals from around the world with rewarding and meaningful internships.
We aim to align the roles and companies with our clients’ professional and academic backgrounds, as well as their future aspirations. We back this up with in-market pastoral care support and services plus additional professional and personal growth mentoring to interns during their placement.
Globalink Internships connects students and professionals with quality work experience in Asia.
The Team
Jeff
Director
After graduating with a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science and History from Victoria University of Wellington, Jeff joined the New Zealand Ministry of Foreign Affairs and Trade and was soon posted to Seoul, South Korea. Following this assignment business beckoned and he returned to Seoul to establish his own Business Development company to assist New Zealand exporters grow their business in Korea. Clients included companies within the Carter Holt Harvey Group, Fletchers and Marley. During this time Jeff also established successful business in Taiwan, before moving to Vietnam and running a business from Ho Chi Minh City.
An opportunity arose for Jeff to join New Zealand Trade & Enterprise (NZTE) and return once again to Korea as the New Zealand Trade Commissioner in Seoul. Following five years in that role, he returned to New Zealand for a short stint before being posted to Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia for four years as the Trade Commissioner. Another period back in New Zealand was followed by a posting to Tokyo, Japan to run the NZTE office and then on to Shanghai where he was the Trade Commissioner for close to four years during the signing of the Free Trade Agreement with China, the Shanghai World Expo and the establishment of New Zealand Central.
After a fantastic experience with NZTE, Jeff decided it was time to return to the private sector and after a period of working with some of New Zealand’s major exporters to assist them in China, he joined a publicly listed multi institution education provider to head up their international business. This saw him spending time in India as well as developing business in Indonesia, Thailand, the Philippines along with other familiar markets of China, Korea and Vietnam.
After an exciting and challenging three years in the role and following the acquisition of the group by another major education provider, Jeff returned to working with a number of diverse institutions to grow their Asian business. This included developing practical work-based internships for students from New Zealand into Asia and from here, after much work, discussion and travel and sensing an opportunity that it could be done better and differently the idea of Globalink Internships was born.
Jonathan
Director
Growing up in Thailand, Canada, the United Kingdom and New Zealand, Jonathan has always had an international mindset and outlook. After obtaining a commerce degree from the University of Canterbury, he took this mindset further by joining NZTE, an organisation that assists New Zealand businesses export their products and specialty services overseas. He has spent over 25 years living and working in Asia in both public and private sector business related roles.
In the early 1990’s he worked in Seoul, South Korea for three years as Trade Commissioner at the New Zealand Embassy. Then came a stint of Chinese language training prior to taking up a posting in 1996 as Commercial Counsellor at the New Zealand Embassy, Beijing. During both his Seoul and Beijing postings Jonathan was closely involved in the opening up and subsequent promotion of study in New Zealand opportunities to South Korean and Chinese students.
He returned to Beijing in 2006 for another three and a half years in the lead up to the signing of the New Zealand China Free Trade Agreement, a time of huge growth in China and strengthening of the relationship between New Zealand and China. 2010 saw the establishment of his own North Asia focused trade consultancy business that has assisted New Zealand exporters and importers do business in the region.
In the last nine years, he has also been on the Executive Committee of the New Zealand China Trade Association, spending the past four years as Deputy Chair and also on an industry advisory board for the Foreign Languages Faculty of a New Zealand university. He continues to be passionate about linking and building relationships between people, organisations and countries.
In-market Representatives
In each of our locations we have established in-market representatives including both expatriates and locals who are operating successful businesses in their respective markets. They each have strong connections within their business and learning communities and long-term industry experience throughout the Asian region, coupled with local knowledge and understanding.
Here are brief profiles about each representative.
Shanghai
Our Shanghai in-market representative has more than 25 years working experience in China and Greater China including Hong Kong and Taiwan in sales, business development, general management and executive search leadership roles.
He has been living and working in Shanghai for the past 20 years. Over the recent 10 years he has been working in the executive search industry in China based in Shanghai performing executive search for management positions in a number of different industry sectors for placements throughout China.
He is fluent in spoken and written Mandarin Chinese having majored in Chinese from Beijing University, and he graduated with a Bachelor of Commerce majoring in accountancy and business administration from the University of Canterbury, Christchurch, New Zealand.
Chengdu
On the ground in Chengdu you will be supported by a company with lengthy Western China experience. One of the co-founders is a respected authority on doing business in China, has significant government and business relationships in major industries, is a regular speaker to government and industry bodies and has authored two business books on China. The company is well versed in cross-cultural business matters.
Fukuoka
On the ground in Japan, you will be supported by someone with nearly 30 years’ experience working in Japan and in New Zealand in Japan-related roles. Our in-market representative has been based in Fukuoka for the last 18 months, where he is working for a foreign-owned solar development company. Prior to living in Japan, he had 20 years’ experience working in international relations and business support roles between New Zealand and Japan as well as other parts of Asia. Prior to Fukuoka, he worked for the Asia New Zealand Foundation in Auckland for nine years as the business programme director, where he ran business workshops and developed an internship programme in the Asian region for New Zealand university students and graduates. Before that he worked in trade promotion and market research roles for the Japan External Trade Organisation and New Zealand’s then largest market research firm.
Our in-market representative looks forward to mentoring interns to ensure they get the most out of the time they spend in Fukuoka and to get their career off to a strong start. Knowledge and experience gained while working in a complex and sophisticated market like Japan and supporting New Zealand exporters to develop business there allows our partner to contribute a valuable professional development element to the programme. As a result, our interns will have developed a deeper understanding of the business environment of Japan upon completion of their time there.
Tokyo
As the Tokyo in-market representative Darrin brings over 15 years experience living and working in Asia. After a decade serving as an Officer in the New Zealand Army in both Military Police and Military Intelligence functions he started his offshore career as a diplomat in Shanghai before moving to an international airline to run its crew base in China to support flights out of Beijing and Shanghai. With experience in China followed by a stint in India prior to now being based in Japan, Darrin brings a breadth of experience across industries to our team.
Ho Chi Minh City
In Vietnam you will benefit from the deep experience and networks of our in-market representative, LightPath Consulting Group. LightPath’s Founder, Haike Manning, is the former New Zealand Ambassador to Vietnam. Haike has lived and worked in Vietnam since 2012, in both Hanoi and Ho Chi Minh City. Haike’s mix of government and commercial experience during his time here gives him unique perspectives on Vietnam. LightPath’s business is focused exclusively on education. LightPath’s Senior Advisor, Sam Korsmoe, an American, first arrived in Vietnam more than 25 years ago. An author, journalist and entrepreneur, Sam has recently returned to Vietnam to focus on his passion: education. Haike and Sam will oversee the informal mentoring, giving interns incredible access to a combined 20 years of senior in-market experience to make sense of this rapidly changing, dynamic country.
Bali
On the ground in Bali you will be supported by someone with over 35 years of international hospitality experience. Our in-market representative has been based in Bali for the past 5 years working with leading clubs and resorts. Prior to Bali he had 14 years with a leading international hotel group, nine of which were spent in China and six years at General Manger level. Our in-market representative relishes the opportunity to mentor and coach interns to ensure they get the most out of the time they spend in Bali and get a jumpstart on their chosen career. Knowledge and experience gained while working in diverse and culturally sensitive markets like Bali allows our representative to ‘give back’ to our interns ensuring that they are street-savvy and confident upon completion of the program.