“If you don’t ask, you don’t get”: Zendesk’s Amy Foo on making your career work for you

Amy Foo is helping to steer a growing tech company towards the $1 billion mark in her role at Zendesk, while also ensuring the firm supports plenty of women along the way and gets behind a number of CSR efforts.

Based in Melbourne, Amy’s the vice president of finance and operations for Zendesk in the Asia-Pacific region, and a former finalist in the Women’s Agenda Leadership Awards.

She shares some of her biggest career hurdles to date and how she got around them, as well as the role of mentors and sponsors in her life.

And she offers this excellent piece of advice, especially when it comes to making your career work for your current situation: “If you don’t ask, you don’t get.”

Who and what do you lead?

I lead and manage all financial control and operations teams across five countries — Singapore, Australia, Philippines, India and Japan — for publicly listed Zendesk.

Best piece of career advice you ever received?

Carve your own career path. Ask for what you want. It sounds simple but if you don’t ask, you don’t get.

In my experience, men seem to be able to do this more easily than women. And you must be passionate about the role and the business you’re in. If you’re not, it’s going to be hard for you to excel. Read more

Women's Agenda - Smart Company - 18 May 2018