Inspiring Journeys of International Old Blues

We delved into the experiences of three Old Blues who have forged successful careers overseas. Through their stories we gain insights into their own paths to success, the impact they are having and discover how their time at CH shaped their futures.

Singapore

Tom Richardson (ThB, GrW 97-04), Senior Clinical Outsourcing Manager in the pharmaceutical industry.

Tom’s experiences at CH ranged from sports and music to academic, which prepared him for a successful career in the pharmaceutical industry. Now, he leverages his diverse skills and a passion for patient-centric work to improve patient lives.

Tell us a little about your job and how you got to where you are today.
I worked for a dermatology company in the UK, and regularly travelled around the UK and Europe. My girlfriend (now wife) and I longed to work abroad, and I was keen to try something new, get off my comfortable seat and expand my skills in a new environment and culture.

So, in 2015, we moved to Singapore, where I established a small Asian office for a clinical-research organisation, leading clinical operations and quality assurance. It was incredibly challenging, but ultimately it was extremely rewarding professionally and personally.

After my eight-year hiatus, I re-joined the UK dermatology company in 2023, working remotely in Singapore. I am now a Senior Clinical Outsourcing Compliance Manager, overseeing the quality and compliance of clinical vendors. I feel fortunate working in the pharmaceutical industry where my career has covered working with companies, vendors and clients all around the world including, Asia, Australia, Europe and North
America.

How has your work influenced or shaped the community or the world at large?
I am passionate about placing the patient’s needs at the heart of what I do. I work for a very patient-centric company, and it helps to keep patient struggles at the front of my mind and to focus on “why” we come to work each day. Improving the lives of patients and finding better medicines which will help those in need is what motivates me to make a difference in the world.

How important has networking been in your career development overseas?
Networking is crucial in business, and the confidence that CH instilled in me stood me in good stead for navigating a networking environment effectively. My early career networking at the British High Commissioner’s residence in Singapore helped me to secure contracts for my previous employer, setting the stage for bigger and better opportunities.

How did your experiences at CH prepare you for your career abroad?
CH equips students with diverse skills, fostering resilience and preparing them for challenges in adulthood, such as building careers and lives overseas. I had the opportunity to represent the school in first XV rugby and first XI football, play in the band, act on stage, participate in community service and the Duke of Edinburgh Award. These experiences, alongside my academic achievements, gave me the confidence to live and work abroad and fearlessly try new things.

Photo: Tom (in yellow) playing in the CH first XI football team

How did CH influence your career to where you are today?
CH had an exceptional science department which helped to grow my interest in the sciences. My A levels included maths, chemistry and sports science, thus combining important elements of pharmaceutical understanding. I studied biomedical science at the University of Sheffield, and then went straight into the pharmaceutical industry.

How do you keep in contact with fellow Old Blues?
In Singapore, I lead the Old Blues’ section, and we meet a couple of times a year for dinner and drinks and to reminisce about life at CH. Since 2016, we have had a wide range of Old Blues join us covering almost every decade back to the 1960s. The evenings are always very enjoyable and, whoever turns up, there are always strong Housey traits shared across all Old Blues.

Photo: Tom at a Singapore Old Blues meet up

Brazil

Jamie Walker (MaA, GrE 00-07), Head of English and Theory of Knowledge Coordinator in São Paulo.

Jamie credits his foundational success and impactful career to his experiences at CH, where he acquired valuable language skills, embraced the values of sportsmanship and received crucial academic support. In his post, Jamie is contributing to global education, shaping the minds of future leaders and improving staff wellbeing.

Tell us about your job and how you have arrived at your current position.

I am Head of English and the Theory of Knowledge (TOK) Coordinator at an international school. I look after a team of six English teachers and have the privilege of bringing the arts, technology and language to the team through my TOK role. Before this, I spent five years working in further education and began my international teaching career in Lusaka, Zambia as an English teacher.

I also pursued a master’s degree in educational leadership in Finland. The course itself was a massive leap forward in my professional knowledge and a stepping stone to where I am today.

Photo: Jamie in his teaching position

What motivates you to make a difference in the world?
Experiencing a CH education makes you mindful of the opportunities it provides, which I was otherwise unlikely to have. As a CH beneficiary, I am always aware that others need such opportunities too. The impact I can make teaching literature and critical thinking may be nominal, but I hope that my students take away lessons that they can apply in their own lives.

Can you share any projects or activities you’ve been involved in that have made a positive difference?
Within my workplace community, the thing I am most proud of is completing my master’s thesis, which had an explicit focus on improving staff wellbeing.

I am an advocate of the theory that the best teaching comes from environments in which staff are valued, trusted and encouraged to collaborate with one another, to bring the best out of each other and their students.

My time playing rugby with the São Bernardo Templários in Brazil was incredibly rewarding. I joined the team because the head coach at the time wanted me, as a senior player, to act as a role-model to youngsters from underprivileged communities and demonstrate good habits, equipping them for better opportunities in life, both through sports and networking. That will always be a period in which I felt I gave as much as I could, even with my own limited talent on display.

Photo: Jamie playing for São Bernardo Templários rugby team

What impact have you made in your career?
I am often reminded by former students at alumni events that the impact is not about the books we read, or courses we take. Instead, it is the impact of relationships; we as teachers are important parts of students’ lives at a time they’re deciding who they are going to be. So, I hope I’ve been a good listener, been able to help people get a little closer to where they want to be in life.

How do you maintain connections with your Old Blue network?
I have been lucky to be actively involved with Old Blues RFC for several years. When I visit the UK, I get down to Motspur Park to play or catch up with club members. The highlight was organising the club’s 150th anniversary tour to Brazil and showing the touring party around. Having my UK side play against Brazilian teammates was incredibly special.

What are your future career goals?
My next goal is to become a director of teaching & learning. I plan to pursue a second master’s degree in neuroeducation, a developing, interdisciplinary field that combines principles and research from neuroscience, psychology, cognitive science and education to better understand how the brain works in the context of learning and education. The field has advanced so much in my career that it feels like an area I would enjoy diving into.

Korea

Dr Jennifer Bates (ColA, GrW 05-07), Assistant Professor of Archaeological Science, Seoul National University (SNU).

Jennifer is an inspiring scientist, with a book out this year. From her formative years at Christ’s Hospital, she has gone onto specialise in archaeobotany in South Asia. Her work on the Indus Civilisation and rice agriculture in the Ganges Plains advances our understanding of ancient plant use and climate adaptation. Jennifer’s dedication to teaching and research continues to inspire future generations.

Tell us about your current role.

I am an archaeological scientist specialising in the archaeobotany of South Asia and I am the Assistant Professor of Archaeological Science at Seoul National University. I study the plant use of ancient peoples in India and South Asia, looking at food remains, plants used in building materials and clothing and climate change effects on flora. I have worked on the Indus Civilisation and have published a book with Cambridge University Press. I am also leading a large project called Indica, looking at the origins of rice agriculture in the Ganges Plains.

Photo: Indica project fieldwork season in India

Can you share what inspired you to pursue a career abroad?
I moved away from the UK because higher academic positions become increasingly scarce. One of the archaeology postdoc positions available was at Brown University, in the US, where they needed an environmental specialist. I moved there for a year, teaching classes and working on papers on the Indus Civilisation’s plant use.

I was contacted by Professor Kathleen Morrison, a specialist in South Asian archaeology, who asked me to work as the archaeobotanical specialist on her Southern Indian project and a global climate change mapping project. I couldn’t say no. I moved to Philadelphia and worked at the University of Pennsylvania, as a post-doctoral researcher, on new projects that opened my mind to new theory, regions and time periods. Professor Morrison encouraged me to think globally and encouraged me to apply for the job in Korea. Now, here I am with a tenure-track professorship.

How did CH influence your career?
I was lucky to study an A level in archaeology at CH, now my chosen career path! More than the A level though, it was the people that encouraged me at CH. Mr Fleming was amazing; enthusiastic about the topic, encouraged me to read beyond the homework, and provided books and advice that I still use today. All the teachers were passionate about their subject, showing me the best way to teach and do research – from the heart.

Doing the A level set in my mind that I wanted to pursue archaeology for my profession. I was also fortunate to have the opportunity to go on a trip to Egypt, something that enthused me to work in archaeology and expand my horizons to other regions of the world. I followed my passion to university, then into an MA and a PhD.

How important has networking been in your career development overseas?
In academia it is important what you know, but you must know people and they must know about you. Publication is one pathway, international conferences are another route, as are your colleagues. Good PhD supervisors introduce you to their colleagues, who introduce you to other people in the field and so on. And these meetings can have long term impacts. I met Professor Morrison at a conference in the first year of my PhD, when my supervisor introduced me to her. Four years after I finished my PhD, she emailed me to ask if I would like a post-doctoral position, because she remembered me and my conference presentation.

In what ways do you believe your work has influenced or shaped the community or the world at large?
I like to think that my work is shaping the academic community! I know that my work is cited and helping to develop new models and theories which suggests that I’m influencing the archaeological community. I enjoy talking to students and colleagues about my work. It is great to see my work picked up in the national press, and to be able to present it in outreach forums. I recently presented an overview of Indus food at the Tamil Heritage Trust’s Indology Fest, and annual public outreach event, live on YouTube. This year we were celebrating 100 years of the Indus Civilisation archaeology, and thoroughly enjoyed discussing the Q&As from it.

Photo: a visit to Woobo Farm in Korea as part of the indica project

Can you share any projects or activities you’ve been involved in that have made a positive difference?
I’m excited to co-lead a project in the Ganges to understand the deep history of rice. By studying rice domestication, we aim to explore the various ways rice has been grown and why its diversity and growing methods may have been lost over the years. As we enter the Anthropocene, where human impact on the environment is significant, we should reflect on past practices for insights into more sustainable and resilient methods.

I’ve had the privilege of speaking at outreach events, including Beomeo Library and various locations worldwide, to demonstrate the vitality and interdisciplinary skills of archaeology and the humanities.

What are your future career goals, and how do you plan to achieve them?
I am working on my projects and towards promotion to Associate Professor, but long term my goal is tenure (Full Professor) and expanding on my research. The labs here at SNU are set up, the collaboration with BHU in India is going strong, and I hope to build on this and expand the project in the Ganges both to further our understanding in this region and then to other areas where we need more archaeological exploration.

Looking forward, what legacy do you hope to leave through your work?
My main legacy goal is to provide a more detailed field than when I arrived. I know that every time I dig and analyse samples, I will solve one question and several new ones will arise, so I have no illusion that I will “solve the problem of…” whatever it is I am looking at. So instead, I want to provide a more in-depth picture of the state of the field for the next person, so that when they start working, they too can find exciting questions and build on what I have done with a solid foundation of ideas below them.

I also want to provide a legacy of well-trained, enthusiastic students, who go on to bigger and better positions, and who are then in a place to explore their ideas and find new topics to enthral them.

Jennifer’s new book is now available from Cambridge University Press.

Are you looking for guidance on your career journey abroad?

Connect with Old Blues from around the world at choba.org for mentorship and career advice. Or contact oldblues@christs-hospital.org.uk.