The WBCSD is a CEO-led coalition of some 200 global companies working to advance an ambitious sustainable development agenda. As Director Member Relations I managed the organization’s relationships with member companies and hundreds of potential members from 20+ sectors and over 35 countries, recruiting new members, and developing and delivering the member engagement, retention and recruitment strategy.

Working to integrate sustainability into Chinese business management for a major EU-China government cooperation programme, bringing sustainable business concepts to life, including piloting a CEO Sustainable Business Network and senior executive seminars, designed and delivered in Chinese.  A chance to get back to China for a while…

Working for a variety of clients, principally the UK’s Design Council, on projects related to sustainable design, innovation and business, with client reactions ranging from ‘a joy to read’ to ‘I wouldn’t change a word of it’.

Five glorious years researching and writing Fools Are Everywhere: The court jester around the world, under the benign and brilliant guidance of a polymath sinologist, Bill Dolby.  The most comprehensive and only global study in its field, it was published to broad critical acclaim (University of Chicago Press) and won the American Association of Publishers’ award for outstanding book of the year in its class. Presentations and interviews include: Australian National Radio, BBC Radio 3, BBC Radio 4, BBC World Service, Hanken School of Economics and others. Always happy to give talks on this death-defying and humanizing character.

To earn extra cash, I worked a month a year as Chinese interpreter and chaperone for Miss and Mr. World.  For most of my time in Edinburgh I lived in the 14th century Vaults in the port of Leith, the oldest Scottish building in continuous commercial use, still housing the Scottish Malt Whisky Society.  My landlord was a naval officer who became a great friend and who was so generous he told me to stop paying rent when my money ran out before I’d finished writing. Thank you Rod, impoverished artists everywhere salute you.

Institute of International Relations – edited international conference papers and speeches for Prime Minister and others to foster quasi-diplomatic relations.  This was a blissful job, with an office looking onto a bamboo grove among wooded hills full of temples, and time and freedom to study.

Hsueh’s Enterprise – helped establish the import branch of a Taiwanese trading company, finding international agents and researching products suitable for import to Taiwan, operating in a Chinese language context.  My boss was a character, roaring to the office on a smoke-cloud of a motorbike, and tucking into street-stall snacks in the office.

Commercial Trademark Services – wrote reports on investigations into copyright infringements for use as evidence in court – praised by prosecuting lawyers for clarity and wit (‘I just wish I could bill my clients for laughing time’).

Sinorama and Tri-Services Hospital – translated articles for Sinorama (a Taiwan international showcase) and medical research papers.

BA Hons in Modern Chinese and Mongolian, with a year in Fudan University, Shanghai; one of the best years of my life. This was followed by a British Council Postgraduate Scholarship to spend another year in Shanghai studying classical Chinese literature and philosophy and swanning around that vibrant city on a Phoenix bicycle, spending most evenings in the jazz bar of the Peace Hotel.   I practically lived off their apple pie and made many lifelong friends.