Meet the FOCUS Team

Originally from Paris, with over 25 years’ experience in Education, Marketing and Sales. I moved to the UK with my husband, my 3 children, my dog and my cat.

Formerly head of admissions in an international school in Central London, and previously running a language training organisation in Paris, I have always enjoyed working with all kinds of international people.

I am the Executive Director which means that I run the business on a daily basis. I also support lots of individual employees throughout their settling in journey offering school advice, cultural training, language courses, career support and what I enjoy the most is hosting our networking events.

I have lived in the USA, Germany, China, Indonesia, Brazil and moved to the UK 13 years ago.

I always had a soft spot for British life. I just loved the British accent to start with and the way British people behaved. After 13 years, I am still enjoying every day of my life like a new adventure.

My favourite British things are London parks, hiking in the countryside and discover charming cottages.

What surprises me the most is the pub culture! The way people meet their colleagues after work in a relaxed setting.

My favourite place in the UK is Scotland, it is my go to place especially the west coast.

A tip for newcomers: make sure you are not bringing too much furniture. British houses are small!

I came over to the UK from Malaysia to complete my studies in Accountancy at age 17.

As the Finance Director, I deal with all matters of Finance, Banking, Law, Payroll, Company Administration, and have always worked with International people in International Companies.

I have not lived in other countries.
I have lived in the UK since 1974, initially with my brother and sister who were also here to pursue their accountancy and training.

I love the theatre and art and was very overwhelmed with the variety available in London. The British can be cold when you first meet them, but they are then taken by our warmth and in-depth knowledge of our own culture and traditions.

My favourite things are theatre, museums, parks and meeting people of different cultures, different sports like football, swimming and tennis.

What surprises me the most are comedies – how they are able to cope with the different ethnicity, and making it funny.

My favourite place in the UK is London, ever changing and full of excitement.

A tip for newcomers: keep your bank accounts in your home country as it may be difficult to establish your credit status on first arrival in the UK.

I’m originally from Lisbon, although I lived in the UK as an expat when I was a child. After having lived in the UK, I attended the British school in Lisbon. I then moved back to the UK for university and have now lived here for 30 years. I am married to an Italian and have three children.

I have over 25 years’ experience in Marketing, Market Research and Sales and my previous job took me on projects all over the world to countries ranging from Japan to Argentina to Canada, allowing me to get an insight into a multitude of cultures, something which I love! I have also been involved in much charity work, especially in the Education sector.

I am the Marketing Director of FOCUS. This means that I manage all aspects of the relationship with our marketing partner companies, so that they can efficiently market their products and services to our members. I also deal with advertising in the FOCUS magazine.

I have lived in Portugal and France (as well as in Sevenoaks as an expat child).

I have been living in the UK for 30 years (plus a brief stint of 3 years as a child).

I always imagined London to be a very exciting city, with so much on offer and with cultures from the whole world merging here. I have not been disappointed! I have also always hugely appreciated British humour and am delighted to be exposed to it on a daily basis.

I love the international dimension of London and the possibility of meeting people from all over the world here. I also greatly enjoy the English countryside and the rugged coast and surfing beaches of Cornwall.

The summer season always surprises me, with its myriad of fabulous events such as The Chelsea Flower Show, Royal Ascot, the Henley Regatta, Wimbledon, BST Hyde Park festival and many other festivals etc. But you musn’t forget to get your tickets early!

I recently went to the New Forest and cannot stop raving about it! The wild ponies everywhere, quaint little villages and excellent cycling trails make it so incredibly unique.

A tip for newcomers: dress in layers because you can literally get four seasons in one day here.

I'm originally from India

I'm originally from Czech Republic

I'm originlly from Czech Republic

I’m never really sure how to answer the question "where are you from?" As an American who happened to be born in London and raised between here and Texas, I definitely identify with the feeling that you can belong to two places. I’ve spent most of my life living between the two countries with an exciting stint in Prague in the early 1990s working for the country’s first English language newspaper. I enjoyed an extended career break while raising my son and was delighted to join the FOCUS team in 2017. I love the services FOCUS provides to its members and especially love seeing and learning about Britain, and London through the contributors to our magazine. After half a life-time here I find there is still plenty to discover.

Having lived as an expat abroad, it has been a privilege to design FOCUS Magazine since 2009. I have lived in India, Pakistan and Kenya with my husband, and have enjoyed all the cultural experiences I had in these amazing countries. Although I am British, I well understand the life and the needs of expatriates and FOCUS is an incredibly invaluable service.