ExxonMobil: Global Manager, Project Development
I graduated from CU Boulder with degrees in Civil Engineering and History, so my interests have always been diverse. I joined Mobil Oil Corporation many years ago in part because of a desire to see the world. My wife (also a CU grad) and I have been fortunate enough to have spent almost one third of my thirty plus year career living overseas where two of our three children were born (London and Singapore). I have probably spent two thirds of my career traveling globally to around 100 countries on all six populated continents. My business travels have ranged from first world countries like Canada, England and Japan to less well known places like Bangladesh, Zimbabwe and Chile.
I have always viewed the benefits of living overseas to fall into two buckets, professional and personal. On a professional level you end up with more authority operating twelve time zones away from your boss, and learning how to negotiate and manage projects in different cultures is a fascinating experience. On a personal level your family gets once in a lifetime experiences. It took us an hour to cross Tienamen Square with three blond kids (because of all the photos). My kids have been on the Great Wall of China, seen the sunrise at Ankor Wat (Cambodia), been on a hot air ballon ride over the temples of Bagam (Myanmar), visited Notre Dame and the Eiffel Tower, and been on safari in South Africa. Our international experiences have been fantastic.