kiwi returner

When Scott first set off to the UK in 2008 he was a 27-year-old trained accountant ready for his next big opportunity. Heading to London and landing a job working in corporate finance in the middle of the GFC provided a baptism by fire for the young Kiwi.

“It was a very intense period. There was a lot of change in the market and there were a lot of businesses in real trouble. So it was a good place to cut my teeth and get my first overseas experience. However after a couple of years I realised what I really wanted was to actually get into a business and see how things operated on the inside.”

**Scott at the Scottish Coast to Coast to 2013**

This desire to better understand the running of a business led to Scott landing a role at one of Britain’s most iconic brands – Burton’s Biscuit Company, home of Jammy Dodgers and Wagon Wheels.

“It was an awesome business to work for. In the UK, biscuits are quite a big deal, the Brits love their tea and biscuits. However, over the years the way people snack has changed, so the challenge for us at that time was utilising the factories that we had to create the best possible financial outcomes and while also creating great products for consumers. I ended up working there for five years, which was a lot longer than I had imagined, but I learnt so much.”

The end of that role saw Scott return to New Zealand in 2015, and take up a role with a
Kiwi company who was looking to expand their business in the UK and the US, something Scott’s offshore insights were perfectly positioned to help with.

“The company I joined on my return to New Zealand was originally a Kiwi company, which had grown into Australia, and was starting to grow into the UK so I was able to bring a unique perspective around entering new markets which was valuable for both of us. A lot of my work in the UK was around finance and strategy and how to grow value. It gave me exposure to how UK markets operated, but we also had US investors so I felt like I was continuously learning. It also taught me what businesses need to focus on when entering new markets and gave me the confidence that New Zealand businesses can make it on the global stage, you just have to understand your value.”

Scott worked for that company for the next seven years, returning to the UK for two of those years to support the company’s expansion plan.

“The second time I moved overseas, I had my wife and two young children. We moved in the middle of Covid, which wasn’t ideal, but I was the CFO of the company at the time and ultimately it became too difficult to continue to grow in the UK and the US when you couldn’t travel from New Zealand.”

**Scott and family in the small mountain village of Deia, Mallorca in 2022**

Last year Scott and his family once again returned to New Zealand, and he has recently been appointed the CFO for online marketplace Trade Me.

“I love New Zealand and I knew I was always going to come back, I love the lifestyle that my family has here, and I knew there would be trade offs. I think you need to have an open mind when you come back. The opportunities are different but that doesn’t mean you can’t find a role you love. What’s cool about Trade Me is it’s purely a New Zealand business. I’m dealing with one time zone and we are very focused on creating value for New Zealanders, which is really satisfying.”

Happily settled back in New Zealand, Scott says he’s now passionate about sharing what he has learnt with other Kiwi businesses in the hope that he can support others on their own global journeys.

“Overseas markets are bigger and there is more expertise. It’s important for people to bring those learnings back to New Zealand and share them with others on the same path, because a lot of what you are sharing is just the context of what’s possible. Some of the best advice I have been given in my career is to listen and take things in and really hear what people have to say. There’s a wealth of knowledge outside of the country and as Kiwi we have this wonderful opportunity of being able to go and work overseas, and to then bring that skill set back to New Zealand and help others. It’s something I have been fortunate enough to do several times already and I hope I will have the opportunity to do it again.”

Living in Shanghai was going well for Hutch, he had built his own business and was enjoying the local lifestyle. However, all of that changed with the arrival of Covid.

“The pandemic was really terrifying, the uncertainty of it all. With a business that was predicated on open borders, the company was failing, so I knew I had to return to New Zealand, because getting trapped in China without work, an income, or a place to live was fast becoming a real risk. I had no idea when borders were going to reopen or when things would return to normal. I honestly thought I would end up living on the streets of Shanghai.”

To help get home, Hutch had joined a WeChat group for Kiwi expats to share the latest information on border control, flights, and where to find PCR tests. It was through this group that one Kiwi expat stepped up and offered Hutch an incredible gift.

“I mentioned in the group that my flights kept getting cancelled, and at that point I had been forced to relocate to a hotel. Each missed flight was just more money being lost and the financial strain was real – I was almost entirely out of funds. One of the people got in touch and offered to buy me a plane ticket that enabled me to finally get home. It really blew me away.”

**Hutch at Yuyuan Gardens near The Bund in Shanghai**

Upon returning to New Zealand Hutch started a new job and paid the kind Kiwi back but he says it taught him a valuable lesson about the power of community.

“There’s a whole circle of people out there who will reach out and help you, even if they don’t know you. I think that’s the greatest asset of the expat community, particularly the Kiwi expat community, it’s so strong and supportive.”

Readjusting to a new country

With all his focus on just getting back into the country, Hutch hadn’t had time to prepare for the reality of coming home, and although he had secured a job offer before landing, the task proved more difficult than he had first thought.

“Expats are often led to believe that offshore work experience is a net positive, but it tends to be the opposite. Chinese business practices are quite different to that of New Zealand’s, so I knew that finding a role to compliment my work experience in China would be important.

“Luckily, my current role in Auckland has strong parallels with the way I worked in Shanghai. Fast turnaround on projects and working flexibly to achieve inflexible deadlines is pretty familiar to Shanghai’s work culture, and we’ve had a few Chinese projects this year, so my overseas experience was beneficial, and my employers also see the value in this.”

With a job sorted, Hutch landed back in Auckland. Although a City of Sails native, Hutch hadn’t been back to the city in almost 25 years and wasn’t sure what to expect.

“Although apprehensive to begin with, what really helped was finding an apartment in the central city, in a neighbourhood that, much to my surprise, reminded me of Shanghai. Near the apartment was a Shanghai dumpling shop and a jianbing place. Downstairs was a Chongqing restaurant, a Lanzhou noodle shop, Xi’an cuisine… when I first arrived, every voice I heard was Chinese. It was the soft landing I needed to transition into my new life here.”

Why all expats should have an exit strategy

While Hutch acknowledges the fact that he came home during unique circumstances, he says that the lessons he learnt are still valid for returners looking to come home now. He believes all offshore Kiwi should have a solid exit strategy, even if they are not planning to return for some time.

**Hutch in the studio of Shanghai-based abstract artist Su Xiaobai**

“A lot of expats find it easy to live day to day and not think about their exit strategy, particularly in a place like Shanghai, which is fairly inexpensive to live in compared to New Zealand. Often expats enjoy the lifestyle there and don’t think to save money, some returning home with nothing. My circumstance meant that almost all my money was lost in the business collapsing. It’s really hard coming back without a safety net.”

He also wants to emphasise the importance of planning, including looking for a job in advance of returning and having an idea of where you want to live to ensure you can build a community around you on your return.

“Depending on how long you have been away, New Zealand won’t be the same as you left it. There will be different politics, different cultural attitudes, it even takes time getting used to the Kiwi accent again. For me, coming home after eight years, I’ve actually really enjoyed it. There are moments when I feel nostalgic for China and think ‘why have I come back?’ but I think returnees tend to feel that way after such a long time offshore. To make the adjustment easier you need to establish a supportive community of friends or family to lean on, particularly in the beginning.”

Hilary and her husband always knew they wanted to live overseas. In 2010, her husband accepted a role in Shanghai, China and the couple, along with their daughter, set off for a new adventure. After living in China for eight years they returned to New Zealand so their daughter could start University.

Settled back in New Zealand, they felt lucky to be at home as the pandemic swept across the world, locking down country after country. Then in the middle of 2021, Hilary’s husband was offered a role he couldn’t turn down.

**Hilary enjoying her next adventure in Gothenburg, Sweden.**

“The role was in Gothenburg, Sweden and it was a great opportunity for him, and one we felt was hard to pass up. Our daughter was settled at University so we decided to go for it. The second time we left New Zealand, it was in the middle of a Covid alert level 3 lockdown. It was a very interesting time to travel knowing that we could find it difficult to come back.”

The challenges of returning home

After two years in Sweden and one pandemic later, Hilary and her husband returned to New Zealand to be closer to family. She says this time around she was better prepared for what a move home might mean.

“When we first moved back to New Zealand after being in China, I found it was a big adjustment coming home, culturally, personally and professionally. I found it difficult to find a role that recognised and valued my experience and China knowledge.”

“The second time around I knew I had to be very proactive about preparing for the inevitability of returning home so I decided I would either build on my experience by working in my field, and if that was not possible, learn and develop in areas that would complement my experience and background. When we started talking about leaving Sweden, I reached out to my existing networks early. Through my network I secured a role with the Serious Fraud Office (SFO).

“The SFO appreciated my unique set of skills that bring a different perspective. I’m really excited about what we are working on at the moment and I’m excited to be recognised for what I bring to the role.”

Learning through travel

“The experiences I have had really help me not just professionally but in the way I approach life. Living and working in such different environments challenges you to have to think another way. You have to think about things in a much bigger, broader space and you think a lot more about the global impact of things.”

**Hilary and her husband at The Bund, a waterfront and protected historical district in Shanghai.**

Hilary says her time offshore has helped shape her as a person and given her incredible skills which she has been able to bring back to Aotearoa.

Her time overseas helped her develop a level of resilience and robustness which she thinks all exploring Kiwi should have the opportunity to experience.

“When we lived in China there was a big expat community, and we had our daughter, so finding a community was easier as you have a lot of opportunities to connect with others through children. When we moved to Sweden, just my husband and I, finding a community was much harder, there were not as many expats and many of the groups were younger people. I essentially had to create my community and invest in it and that was a really valuable lesson.”

“I think as a Kiwi it’s a real privilege to be able to travel and live overseas but then also to be able to come home and bring what you have learnt back. My advice to others is to embrace travel, make the most of the opportunity, think of it as a gift, as a learning opportunity. Embrace the challenges and the differences.”

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