I want to be a CTO at a Fortune Global 100 company. What country should I work in next?
I am a telecoms CTO in my late 30s and have spent the majority of my career in Hong Kong. I have quite an impressive CV but the one thing I lack compared to some of my peers is international experience. In the next year or two I would like to find a CTO role overseas to gain international management experience, with an aim to move to a Fortune Global 100 company in the next six to seven years. I think it makes sense to target roles in the US or Canada for my next step, but I’d like to hear whether you have any alternative suggestions – for example, is China experience on a CV considered by multinational recruiters as very attractive? I speak English, Cantonese and Mandarin.
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Is a step up worth sacrificing lifestyle?
My engineering firm is moving part of its operations to India and there are some good career opportunities for the Hong Kong managers willing to relocate. However, my firm dropped “expat” packages long ago and now they’re saying: “If you want to come then come, but your package will be localised.” It’s difficult to decide whether making a step up the career ladder towards senior-level management is worth a dip in lifestyle and cultural adjustment. What can I do to make up my mind?
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