Biography
Hi, my name is Simon Bartholomew and I am an Australian citizen. I now live in Hanoi for most of the year. Most of my career life was spent in Canberra, Australia, as a public servant working for Australian Federal Government agencies. My major role was in people management including policy development, consultation and advice. I was also employed in a law enforcement agency (as a civilian), responsible for the development of employment frameworks for police deployed overseas. I was fortunate to be deployed myself to work as a human resources advisor to police services in the Pacific as, together, we sought to bridge very different cultural expectations, communication styles and governance. I have now retired. As a contrast to my public sector life, I spent my school years on a small dairy farm with my parents in Tasmania. I see the value for people to have a second language which can help them significantly, both locally but internationally. Having worked with other nations I am also interested in the different ways each culture communicates, especially at the workplace. I have travelled to Vietnam many times and now wish to return the respect and friendships I have found here, by volunteering. My hobbies is travel, music, dance, photography.
