Clair Thinking

Progressive change is being effected on a global scale thanks to the combination of technology and old-fashioned people skills

Clair Deevy’s first interview for a corporate social responsibility (CSR) role with Microsoft Asia Pacific was fittingly conducted via mobile phone while she was trekking for charity along the Great Wall of China.
Running community programmes for Australia’s Commonwealth Bank at the time, the young Sydneysider was keen to take on a role that would offer still larger-scale challenges – and plenty of scope for adventure.
“I’ve always loved the idea of being involved in something bigger than myself and the company I work for – something with the capacity to change a lot of people’s lives,” she says. “The great thing about my current role is that I’m able to help people, businesses and not-for-profit organisations throughout the region to fulfil their potential using technology many of us take for granted.”
As Microsoft Asia Pacific’s citizenship and community affairs lead, Clair leads a team of CSR managers charged with harnessing the combined powers of technology and training to create positive social and economic change. A key responsibility is overseeing the software giant’s Unlimited Potential (UP) programme in the region, which sees it partner with public, private and not-for-profit organisations to improve education and training, job and business opportunities in emerging and underserved markets. The ultimate goal is to extend access to technology to an extra billion people by 2015.
Based in Singapore, Clair, who has a degree in environmental management, travels extensively throughout the region, venturing into areas in which access to technology is often limited at best.
“I provide local people with the tools and training they need to find jobs or start up their own businesses,” she explains. “When you’re surrounded by technology every day, it’s easy to lose sight of the huge impact it can make. However, even basic training gives people far more confidence to go out and learn and try. I’m lucky this is something I’m regularly reminded of by some of the most inspirational people you could meet.”
Clair literally has an entire database full of stories of the lives she’s helped change – experiences which always prove enlightening, and often transformative, to her as well.
A case that made a particular impression was that of a young woman named Lilibeth who grew up in a tribal community in the Philippines. One of 12 children born to desperately poor farmer parents, she left school to go to work at age eight, earning the equivalent of a dollar a day. At 13, a human trafficker lured her to the city with the promise of domestic work, three meals a day and the chance to go to school. Instead, Lilibeth found herself working exhaustingly long hours in three separate households for minimal pay. Her situation became more dire still when she was transferred to a new employer who, after a full day of domestic work, forced her to ‘entertain’ male customers in a bar through the night. In despair, Lilibeth attempted suicide.
Fortunately, a local teacher introduced her to one of Microsoft’s local partners, the Visayan Forum Foundation, which works with victims of trafficking, domestic servitude and other forms of exploitation. Initially brought in for psychological therapy, Lilibeth took a keen interest in the Unlimited Potential programme. A quick and eager learner, she became a whiz with the technology and eventually went on to university. Recently graduating with a degree in social work, she now works with Visayan to help other victims of exploitation.
“She is an incredibly bright and inspirational young woman who has a huge impact on everyone she meets,” Clair says.
Clair, now 34, finds her work with not-for-profit organisations equally rewarding. When we caught up, she had just returned from Colombo, Sri Lanka, where she had coordinated a convention with partners from throughout the region, including New Zealand, to address key issues for the sector. The event, Tech4Good, proved so successful from both strategising and networking perspectives that Microsoft has decided to make it an annual event. 
“We set up a cohort at the conference which will continue to drive our partnerships and programmes,” Clair says. “It’s a huge achievement we’re all very proud of.”
The Colombo convention formed part of an intense five weeks on the road, which included a pit stop in New Zealand. While here, she commended our ‘vibrant’ not-for-profit sector for its hard work, but said many organisations are not making the most of available technology. 
She pointed out that Microsoft donated $15 million worth of software to New Zealand charities last year and she’d like to see that amount double in 2012.
All registered charities are eligible to apply for free software, she stressed, and the company also provides help with using social networking sites such as Facebook and Twitter to generate interest and raise funds.
She says most charities have no idea how many quality resources are freely available on the internet – basic online versions of Microsoft Office programmes and storage device SkyDrive, for example, can be accessed by anyone with a Hotmail account.
Clair’s mandate as a technical force for good also sees her act as a cyber detective of sorts. Promoting online safety and security, she and the teamwork with organisations including the International Centre for Missing and Exploited Children to prevent crimes and scams, and track perpetrators using high-tech programmes such as Photos DNA.
Their work extends to helping those less than au fait with technology, including the elderly and migrant domestic workers, how to keep in contact with family and friends via online tools such as email, instant messaging and video calling.
“A lot of overseas workers don’t see their loved ones for years at a time, so these technologies are priceless,” Clair says.
Clearly, she relishes the unique challenges of her role, saying she hopes to significantly boost Microsoft’s not-for-profit partnerships throughout Asia-Pacific to help as many people as possible.
She says she adores living in vibrant, multicultural Singapore, although she admits it took her a good six months to settle in and a further 18 to feel at home. Nevertheless, she’s immeasurably glad she made the move.
“I think I underestimated the challenge of moving to a new country and everything that it entails. But I appreciate now how much it has taught me about myself and how adaptable I can be.
“I’ve made some really good friends – my Singapore family I guess – and I love that it’s so easy to take short trips throughout Asia. I’ve had some amazing weekends in Koh Samui and Langkawi!”
Her cyclic schedule – which seems to involve intensely busy periods followed by only very busy ones – makes maintaining a work-life balance extra hard, but Clair says working for a flexible company, having a great team and, of course, the latest technology make it manageable. She estimates she spends about 175 days of each year travelling and admits that last five-week stint was “tough”. Not that she’s complaining.
“We’re lucky we’re rewarded for what we achieve rather than the hours we put in. So, I’ll take a bit of a break now to focus on family. Of course, I can always jump online whenever I need to. With laptops and phones, I’m always able to maintain some degree of connectivity and stay on top of urgent things.”
As much as she enjoys the corporate arena, she can envisage herself moving into the not-for-profit sector eventually.
On a personal level, she’s keen to start a family, finish the doctorate degree she’s working toward part-time and travel to the continents she’s yet to explore thoroughly, namely Africa and South America. Resettling in her native Australia is also in the long-term plan.
Clair attributes her career success so far to her determination to stay true to herself and her values and find ways her typically ‘alternate’ take on things can benefit others.
“I think it’s important to be passionate about what you do, work hard and pick yourself up whenever you hit a setback – because there will always be more than a few. You should also be able to smile and just have fun. You do much better work – and of course enjoy life far more – when that’s the case.
The words of a young woman she met on her first Microsoft-related mission to Beijing have become a part of her own life philosophy. From a poverty-stricken rural family, the woman had moved to the city to find work and took on a job as a cleaner. Determined to improve her prospects, she trained with one of Microsoft’s local partners and became so tech-savvy, she overhauled her employer’s accounting system. He was so impressed, he made it her fulltime job.
“She told me she’d worked hard to get where she was but she’d always believed you have to take responsibility for your own happiness and success. Everyone is entitled to a good and meaningful life.”
Lorna Thornber

Corporate Ladder Climbing 101

Clair Deevy’s words to the career-wise.
Create your own opportunities. Although I’ve never had an overarching career plan, once I establish myself in a position, I start planning my next couple of steps. Even at 15, when I worked at McDonalds, I decided to do everything I could to host birthday parties at our restaurant and eventually ended up running them.
Put forward big, impactful ideas you’re sure you can follow through with. This doesn’t mean doing it all yourself: it’s about having a clear plan and the right team so you can succeed together.
Go above and beyond what people expect of you. Work out what your stakeholders want and need and prove you can deliver all that and more. 
Keep your networks alive. You never know when people are going to come back into your orbit.
Seek out mentors and other people you respect and learn from them. I have picked up many different traits, tricks and skills from the people around me.