About Me

I have been involved in career management and recruiting since 1997. Let me tell you a bit about how I got here and my career journey.

After doing my MBA at the Haas School, UC Berkeley, I lived and worked in Kuala Lumpur and Kuching, Malaysia for 9 years as a business consultant, college English instructor, entrepreneur, cooking school chef, talent manager, and mom. Lots of cool jobs, lots of life experience. My family is bicultural, American and Chinese.

I was introduced to executive search at my first job at an engineering consulting firm in San Francisco, CA. Having been an anthropology major, recruiting and search intrigued me. Corporate culture, personality, and skill matchmaking!

When my family returned to the U.S. from Malaysia in 1997, I was a re-entry professional and parent of school-age kids, with a patchwork of experience, but no single career theme. By a stroke of good luck, I landed a recruiting role with Lander International, which was a nationally-known search firm for Digital Trust professionals —and only 3 miles from my house. (I could pick up the kids from school!)

During my Lander years (over two decades), I worked with thousands of candidates and hundreds of hiring managers and talent acquisition partners. In 2013, I started my own search firm, Candor McGaw Inc., and built it into a recognized name in IT Audit, IT GRC, and Cybersecurity recruiting with a portfolio of Fortune 500 clients.

In 2020, I pivoted out of search and launched my career coaching practice in order to bring my expertise in career management, job search, interviewing, career transitions, leadership development, and professional branding to a broad spectrum of professionals. Helping people build successful careers is my passion. I’d love to share what I know with you!

 

Professional Highlights

  • Over two decades of Recruiting & Coaching experience for Fortune 10 – Fortune 500 clients; Staff to SVP and Head of function.

  • Search firm Executive Director, Lander International LLC

  • Recruiter of the Year (for all of California), 2006

  • Founder and Chief Recruiting Officer, Candor McGaw Inc. (2013 - 2020)

  • Deep knowledge of the IT Audit, Cybersecurity, and IT Risk & Control disciplines

  • Career columnist for a major global professional organization (ISACA)

  • Entrepreneur / Creator of Look & Cook: Western Cooking for Asian Kitchens

  • Instructor of Business English, University of Malaysia, Sarawak

  • Experience as a parent re-entering the work force

  • Experience working internationally and restarting a career in the U.S.

 

Education

  • MBA, UC Berkeley, Haas School of Business

  • BA, Cultural Anthropology, UC Berkeley