How does an Adelaidean who considers himself not a ‘big city person’ with no real aspiration to live overseas, end up loving life in Ho Chi Minh City?

The is Damien Otto’s story after a generous leader at Commonwealth Bank connected him with career opportunities overseas which eventually saw the Otto family pack their bags for a life in Vietnam.

It seemed like the perfectly secure career move.  A secondment on a fixed term with his long-term employer who had to date, always looked out for him.  

Until it wasn’t.

At the end of his time in Vietnam, Damian was surprised to be offered a redundancy or the opportunity to find another job on his own at the bank somewhere in Australia.  Not the response he was expecting or the way he thought his career with the bank would continue to grow.

In this podcast, we discuss how Damien responded and the learnings he would share with other expats who find themselves in a similar situation.

It has been four years now and Damien is now living in Melbourne for an organisation that sought him out for the skills he gained in Vietnam.  His Vietnamese experience, while it didn’t end quite like he imagined, still looms large in his daily life. He might not be riding a scooter with his partner and two kids down the road for the weekly shop, but Damien still eats a banh mi every week and says the skills he gained in Vietnam have shaped him into the leader he is today.