Jumping Out of Strategic Windows (2025 Spring)

When applying a job, I was asked to provide some more background of myself. Therefore, I got the chance to do some reflection and summarised a bit before I gave my friend, ChatGPT, a chance to help polished further... 

Four years ago, at the age of 38, I took a leap of faith—carrying pain, courage, and blessings—with my wife and two children to begin a new chapter in the UK.

In Hong Kong, I started my career as a consulting trainee in IBM consulting and I had spent most of my career there and got to a decent middle management role. At one point, I stepped away for 2.5 years to lead a start-up social enterprise taking on a sizable charity programme—a bold move that I am still pround of. I often describe it as “jumping out of the strategic window while it was open.” That experience reshaped me, giving me a broader perspective on leadership, purpose, and impact.

Moving to the UK was like another strategic window to jump out of, and this time it's together with my family. Another bold move I am still proud of. 

In the UK, I was fortunate that Hitachi welcomed me to continue my IT career. Over the past 3.5 years, I led multiple projects across the banking, hospitality, and property sectors. Then, in a poetic twist, I received my redundancy notice on the very day that marked four years since our arrival in the UK—part of a wider company activity to reinvent itself.

Do you see the blessings? That turns the last tiny drop of bitterness into a full tank of overflowing thankfulness. To move on, it’s time to pick up the saddle and continue the journey—ready for the next challenge and maybe another window to jump out of.