Working abroad can be a ticket to adventure—and advancement. Yet women of color often face unique challenges when cultures collide, especially with family in tow. We asked three multicultural working moms to share their tales and tips for taking on the world.

Adapting to Change
Nicole Cooke (pictured with partner Clifford Turman and daughter Maia)
VP, Global Leadership and Diversity at Goldman Sachs
Single, mom of one
Posting: Japan, seven months

When the opportunity to work in Japan appeared on Nicole Cooke’s horizon at Goldman Sachs in 2007, she jumped at the chance, despite not even speaking the language. She had met a few Japanese friends during her undergrad school days and was eager to visit the country.

Still, Nicole, 28, a single mother, worried about how to make the posting a positive experience for daughter Maia, 2. “In the States I have an active support system,” she explains. “Maia’s dad is very involved in her care and picks her up from day care three or four days a week. He gave his approval for the trip, but I knew being Maia’s only caregiver would make juggling my work schedule and my responsibilities to her more challenging.”

Nicole relied on her company’s support to create a new network during her seven-month stint abroad. Goldman Sachs provided an apartment directly across the street from her office and, even more important, assigned Nicole a Japanese mentor—another working mom—to help her navigate her new home. (One big question, recalls Nicole, was “Where can I buy some Johnson’s baby shampoo?”)

Nicole, who is African American, was surprised at how many Japanese were struck by her and Maia’s skin color when they were out and about. “And a woman of color with a child! That was even more rare. But Maia loved all of the attention. Sometimes people would even ask if they could take their picture with her.”

Maia, meanwhile, adjusted well to her child care, which was conducted primarily in Japanese. “As a two-year-old, she was at the point of learning her vocabulary in English,” says Nicole. “So for a long time after, she would use the Japanese word for ‘blue.’”

In terms of her work, Nicole says the experience broadened both her worldview and her role at Goldman Sachs. “The head of our office there is doing a lot to advance diversity, even within the broader context of that business environment, but Japan is still a very homogeneous culture,” she explains. As for her role, Nicole notes that while “we might have ten people on my team in the States, in Japan I was one of only two when it came to diversity-related projects. Within two weeks, I was thrown into planning meetings, and that’s something that wouldn’t have happened in the United States because people more senior than I am would be doing it.”

Indeed, back in New York, Nicole has since been promoted from associate to vice president—and has become a go-to person on diversity issues in Asia. “When we were looking at launching a new project, I was able to provide perspective on how it would work in Asia and what segments might need to be customized to fit specific needs,” she says.

Nicole has no regrets about her stint abroad: “No matter how daunting it seemed from the outset—a black female professional going to a new work environment, in the context of a completely different culture; a single mother with a two-year- old daughter, not speaking the language—we both turned out to be completely adaptable.”

Back to Her Roots
Annie Young-Scrivner
Chief Marketing Officer and VP of Sales,
Quaker Foods and Snacks at PepsiCo
Married, mom of two
Posting: China, four years

Talk about setting a course for adventure: More than 15 years ago, Annie Young-Scrivner, 40, let her bosses know that her goal was to one day run the China division of PepsiCo. “I was really quite junior at that point,” she recalls with a laugh. “But Pepsi wants people to look ahead and map out how to achieve their ambitions.”

It worked. Last December, Annie and her family returned to Chicago from a four-year stint in China, where she served as regional president for PepsiCo’s food business.

Annie’s desire to work in China sprang from her family background. Her parents fled China during the revolution, settling in Taiwan, where she was born, and later the United States. It wasn’t until she arrived for work in 2005 that she set foot in China. “It was a huge opportunity for my family,” says Annie, and she grabbed it, confident that her husband, Scott, and their son, Sebastian, then 4, and daughter, Nicolette, then 1, would appreciate the adventure as well.

Scott, 40, a stay-at-home dad, was able to relocate with his wife; however, the move was not without its challenges. “I went to work and instantly had a network of colleagues, and the kids went to school and had their network,” she says. “But in Scott’s case, most of the other spouses were women, so he struggled to find his own network. He was a huge trouper to do that for four years.” Also, while Annie enjoyed the first-time sensation of “blending in” as a Chinese American, Scott, who is Caucasian, experienced the reverse. “He’d say, ‘So this is what you feel like in America,’” Annie recalls.

Career-wise, the decision to work in China was a no-brainer. Annie advanced during her posting and was promoted again upon her return to the States. “The assignment provided me with the opportunity to sharpen my leadership skills,” she says. “I believe I’m now a better leader with a broader viewpoint of the world.”

On the Road Again
Mariana Cores
Global Generalist, HR at Citi
Married, mom of one
Posting: Mexico, six months; New York, seven years; London, at present

Mariana Cores is a globetrotter with a capital G. In ten years with Citi, Mariana has moved from her hometown of Buenos Aires to live in Mexico, New York and now London—with husband Nicolas, 37, and son Justo, 4, in tow. As Nicolas explores work opportunities in London, Mariana says: “We are a team. This latest move was something he wanted, too. We wanted to experience another culture.”

Professionally, Mariana, 39, says it’s such diversity that makes her work so interesting. “By coming from a country that is not always at the center of the discussion, I can put myself in the mind of Brazil or Chile or in any other place when I build a relationship and set up a strategy. I have a global job, but if I don’t understand the impact of our decisions in different countries, I’m not as effective as I want to be.”

Still, says Mariana, adopting a new culture as your own can be a difficult process—at first. To help, relocation consultants have brought Mariana and her family up to speed with information on schools, cultural sites and even local idioms while she received training on her new work roles.

Mariana notes that the move to London for an openended assignment has tightened her family’s bonds. “As opposed to in Buenos Aires, we don’t have an extended family to turn to,” she says. “We have a group of friends, which is wonderful, but in general, this move has made us very reliant upon one another. My husband has had to become my sister, my brother, my friend—and vice versa. It makes your relationship stronger, but it’s not always easy.”

Should You Stay or Should You Go?
We asked three experienced working moms who’ve worked internationally to share their best advice for women considering a job abroad.

Love your job. “I have passion for my work,” says Mariana Cores, global generalist for human resources at Citi. “That made the decision to move to London an easy one. I figure that if I am happy, my family will be happy, too.”

Don’t be afraid to take a risk. “People would say to me, ‘You are so brave to take on this challenge on your own,’” says Nicole Cooke, vice president, global leadership and diversity at Goldman Sachs. “But I was surprised at how doable it all was.” Sure, she says, it took an hour’s prep to go anywhere with 2-year-old Maia, but it was worth it for the sense of adventure and competence she got in return.

See the world—and build your networks. As Mike White, PepsiCo Vice Chairman and CEO of its international division, told Annie Young-Scrivner when she and her family left for China: “It’ll be a great education for all of you.” And it was, says Annie, who now serves as chief marketing officer and vice president of sales for Quaker Foods and Snacks at PepsiCo. The family traveled extensively—to Indonesia, Malaysia, the Philippines, Japan, Thailand and Vietnam—and Annie made new professional connections along the way.

Arrange for your kids’ belongings to arrive when you do. “The hardest part for Justo was the first few days,” says Mariana. “He couldn’t sleep. He even told us that we should sleep and he would watch us to make sure we were safe! Only when his things from home arrived could he relax.”

Stay in touch. “We relied on a Web camera and a family-and-friend blog so Maia could talk to her dad,” says Nicole. “It made home seem not so far away.”