Evelyn Poh

Evelyn is a finance professional with extensive experience building and leading diverse teams.   

She spent 20 years at Goldman Sachs working in London, Zurich and Tokyo.  Her most recent role was as regional head of the Investment Management Division (IMD) Controllers team in Asia Pacific.   

Prior to joining Goldman Sachs, Evelyn was an auditor with Ernst & Young and qualified as an ACA with the Institute of Chartered Accountants in England and Wales (ICAEW).  She holds a BSc from the University of Bristol, UK.

Why Next Level Communication?

I recall a time when I thought that as long as I had the right intentions, somehow the other party would understand exactly what I meant in the way that I meant it, and to the extent that I meant it.  Of course, real-world communication is so much more complex. 

NLC’s foundational principles, that better communication leads to better outcomes, and that everyone can be a better communicator through deliberate, intentional practice really resonated with me.  

Tell us about your personal communication journey.

Growing up in Malaysia, I was always surrounded by different languages, cultures, ethnicities and beliefs.  In my family we used simple words and often mixed different languages – local-accented English, Bahasa and some Chinese dialects – in one sentence.  My life journey took me from a small, simple town in Malaysia to the grand hallways of a Wall Street bank and everything in between.  I realized early on that I would be better understood if I adjusted the way I spoke – from the words I used to the pronunciation, tone of voice, etc.  As I picked up different languages – German, Mandarin, Korean, Japanese – I found myself unconsciously changing even pitch and gestures.  

Communication has tremendous impact and truly drives real outcomes in our lives.  It’s still fascinating to me, the invisible doors that open (or shut) based on how I communicate.

I’d like to see a world where people know how to make themselves understood, and have the empathy to understand others better.  I’d like to do my part to move mankind closer to a world where miscommunication is the exception.  I think that world would be altogether more harmonious and beautiful. 

What are your interests outside of work?

I like exploring and travelling.

I like sitting, thinking and writing thoughts down in my journal. 

I like spending time with my husband and James, our son.   There is no greater joy than to have been chosen to be his mother.

What is something about you that people may not know?

My childhood dream was to be a flight attendant so I could travel the world for free!  As you can tell, my life didn’t quite turn out the way I’d planned!

What are some growth or learning goals that you are working on?

To be more tech ‘savvy’ – 😊