Joanne Gao: Guiding students to achieve their dreams in education
Joanne Gao, Regional Manager for Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Myanmar at Crimson Education, is a trailblazer in the education sector. At just 35, she has already made a profound impact by guiding thousands of students to realise their academic dreams and leading a high-performing team of 20 in Singapore […]
Women Going Places: Marsya Ruzana Aw, First Principals Education, Singapore
Marsya Ruzana Aw is the Head of Study Skills at First Principles Education, Singapore’s study skills education technology company. Marsya’s journey from a struggling Nanyang Technological University (NTU) student to spearheading transformative educational innovations offers a compelling narrative of perseverance, empowerment, and innovation. Marsya’s path with First Principles Education began during […]
The return of 90s culture echoes a backlash to feminism that we’ve seen throughout history
Julie Whiteman -Julie Whiteman, Lecturer in Marketing, University of Birmingham I came of age in the 1990s and lived through the heavily gendered pop culture of Spice Girls and All Saints, Oasis and Blur, of lads and ladettes outdoing each other in heavy drinking and sexual exploits. Now in my […]
HeForShe marks ten years with a movement of 2 million gender equality advocates
Since 2014, HeForShe has bolstered a global movement, engaging more than 2 million men and individuals of all genders in championing gender equality. This unique initiative, led by UN Women, has driven 3 billion conversations on topics ranging from closing the pay gap to combating violence against women, reaching […]
Progress is not parity
Over the past decade, women’s representation has increased at every level of corporate management. Most notably, women today make up 29 percent of C-suite positions, compared with just 17 percent in 2015. But progress has been much slower earlier in the pipeline, at the entry and manager levels. However, the […]
Profile: Alexandra Vranyac – Wheeler, CEO, Master Electricians NZ
How are you finding life as CEO of Master Electricians NZ? I’m loving working with passionate people who are committed to advancement of this industry, which in many ways is at the centre of the energy transition. I’ve found that the people around me share many of the same values […]
Calling women ‘too emotional’ weakens us all
The stereotypical and unwelcome practice of calling women ‘too emotional’ is still all too common in New Zealand’s business environment, and while it is easy to call for change, any real shift will only happen when society starts to recognise emotion as a strength and not a sign of weakness. […]
Cassandra Nadira Lee, Founder, COMB (Connecting Mind and Body)
What inspires you? I am inspired by the resilience and strength that comes from overcoming personal challenges. My experiences with clinical depression, temporary blindness, and the determination to balance work and family life have all fueled my drive to help others. Witnessing the positive transformations in my clients and their […]
Profile: Darlene Winston (MAICD), Director of Advice, Peninsula Australia
www.womengoingplaces.net What is your role at Peninsula Australia and what does it involve? I head up the Advice division and our employee relations specialists at Peninsula Australia, a leading provider of HR and WHS support for small to medium-sized businesses. We provide 24/7 expert advice to our clients that […]
Cassie Price-McCoy
Cassie Price-McCoy is General Manager, Services ANZ for GE HealthCare, where she’s been for over 11 years. Cassie is an energetic and senior service, operations, sales enablement and customer experience leader with over 25 years’ experience across functions and industries. As General Manager, Services ANZ, Cassie oversees service strategy, safety […]
Laura Boccanfuso
Laura Boccanfuso started her PhD in computer science after being a stay-at-home mother for eight years to her three kids. She’s been building AI-enabled classroom tutors ever since. As the founder and CEO of Van Robotics, Boccanfuso wrote the original code in her home workshop while undertaking postdoctoral studies at […]
Gender equity and inclusion has stood still or worsened, according to women in leadership research
A new survey of over 100 women in leadership roles across Aotearoa New Zealand sheds light on the gender inequities and inequality that remain pervasive in the workplace, impacting women’s career performance and advancement, mental health, wellbeing, and relationships. The survey by leadership development practice, Leadership for Good, highlights the […]
Joanne Gao: Guiding students to achieve their dreams in education
Joanne Gao, Regional Manager for Singapore, Malaysia, the Philippines, and Myanmar at Crimson Education, is a trailblazer in the education sector. At just 35, she has already made a profound impact by guiding thousands of students to realise their academic dreams and leading a high-performing team of 20 in Singapore while contributing to a global network of over 800 staff and 2,000 tutors. “I wanted a more interactive role that allowed me to make a meaningful difference in people’s lives,” she says. After two years in the corporate world, Joanne took a bold leap into education—a decision that reshaped her career and ignited her passion for empowering others. Nine Years in Education: A Journey of Impact Joanne’s introduction to education was as a Student Enrolment Advisor for UK universities and boarding schools, where she quickly gained recognition as a ‘Best Student Enrolment Advisor’ globally for her ability to guide students through the competitive admissions process. Seeking greater personal interaction and to expand her knowledge in the education industry, she joined Crimson Education as an Academic Advisor and quickly rose to become Country Manager for Singapore, eventually overseeing operations across four countries. Through her leadership, Joanne has helped over 1,000 families across Asia navigate the complex admissions process for top universities like Harvard, Stanford, Oxford, and Cambridge. She describes some of her most rewarding moments as the heartfelt calls from students sharing news of their acceptance—a testament to the life-changing impact of her work. Not only that, Joanne has been instrumental in scaling the Singapore team across key divisions—marketing, sales, and strategy—growing its headcount from 5 to 20, nearly quadrupling the team size. Under her leadership, the team expanded its capacity to support more students—guiding approximately 200 students from Singapore in the 2023/2024 admissions cycle alone. She has also driven the […]