Introduction

It’s not capability holding people back — it’s translation

Executives are told:

• “But you haven’t worked in local government here.”
• “You don’t know how New South Wales does procurement.”
• “You’ve not delivered within our regulatory framework.”

Boards and hiring panels struggle to map overseas achievements to the Australian context. And when that translation is too hard, the easy answer is “no”.

The result? Talent that could accelerate delivery and de-risk outcomes never makes it past the first conversation.

I’ve experienced this myself. I relocated to Hong Kong and then Saudi Arabia with no networks, no safety net, and succeeded. I thrived in environments that demanded resilience, adaptability, and cultural fluency. Yet when I returned to Brisbane, the absence of a local network was enough to make potential employers hesitate. The irony was hard to miss.

With the Olympics looming, we can’t afford blind spots

This blind spot is more than frustrating. It’s dangerous.

Australia has committed to infrastructure programmes, housing delivery, and mega events that will stretch our capacity. The Brisbane 2032 Olympic Games is just one example — an immovable deadline where success will hinge on access to world-class talent.

We already know the labour market is tight. We already ask, “Who’s going to build this?”

We cannot afford to exclude the very people who have proven they can lead in tougher, larger, more complex environments than ours.

International experience is not a risk. It is a competitive advantage.



The super skills forged overseas are exactly what we need

When leaders have thrived overseas, they bring more than technical outcomes back with them. They bring:

• Cultural fluency - the ability to build trust across borders, languages, and systems.
• Governance under pressure - making calls where politics, risk, and reputation collide.
• Adaptability - translating their skills into environments with unfamiliar rules, cultures, and expectations.
• Resilience - succeeding without the safety net of familiar networks or processes.

These are not “nice-to-haves”. They are exactly what Australia needs as we embark on high-stakes programmes with immovable deadlines.



Ignoring global talent hurts the next generation too

By shutting out internationally experienced leaders, we are also doing a disservice to the next generation.

Emerging Australian leaders need exposure to diverse ways of thinking, to see first-hand how projects are delivered under different political, social, and economic conditions. When those lessons are kept offshore, our talent pipeline narrows.

Future CEOs, project directors, and people leaders are left with fewer role models who can pass on the resilience, judgement, and global perspective they will need to succeed in an increasingly connected world.

This is not just about filling today’s roles. It is about preparing tomorrow’s leaders.



The real question: why do we treat global experience as a liability?

So the real question is not “Why don’t overseas candidates fit here?”

It is: “Why do we still treat international experience as a risk instead of an asset?”

Because every time we default to the “safe” local choice, we miss an opportunity to raise the bar - and we narrow our chances of delivering the outcomes Australia expects.



A final thought

I don't genuinely  a talent shortage. It has a translation problem. Until we address it, we will keep talking about gaps while world-class capability quietly walks past us.

If we are serious about delivering on our infrastructure pipeline, solving the housing crisis, and preparing for the Olympics, we must start seeing international experience for what it is - an asset that strengthens our organisations today and prepares the next generation for tomorrow.