Unsurprisingly perhaps, the process of having coffees leading to networking and directorships is not a linear one. This is perhaps even more so in my case, with a large “Asian pivot” in place. So I regard the 78 Asian based coffees I have had so far this year as a process of “understanding my new environment”, or as one person put it to me, “taking the pulse” of the market. And the pulse check tells me it’s going to be a long road.

I could continue to have many coffees and meet more people, as introductions are not difficult to procure. But the reality is, the process here, as in Australia, is also a slow one and I have the challenging attributes of being “non-Asian”, female and new to Singapore to make that even more testing. So the pulse check leads me to believe that while I should continue to have coffees and build my network, I need to build a local profile. And the best way to do that is to use the learnings that I have developed from my executive and non-executive roles to date and apply them in a positive way.

The winding road comes because it may not appear an obvious way to get to a directorship, but already the mentoring, strategy consulting and start-up advice I have provided have opened new doors, introduced me to local business people and entrepreneurs and improved my understanding of how things get done. My intention is to spend more time seeking roles in these areas rather than directly in pursuit of non-executive directorships. I am engaged, helping others and making a contribution – all of which is intensely satisfying. The ongoing opportunities to meet new people are welcomed.

I remain focused on a non-executive director portfolio as the end goal, but think this long and winding road may indeed be a way to get there.

Coffee count: 469