Five Minutes of Fame with Leah Taylor
Leah Taylor - Director of Communications, Dulwich College (Singapore)
1. Where else in the world have you lived?
I was born in Hong Kong and spent all of my childhood there. My parents were schoolteachers and our long summers together were glorious and spent exploring the world.
When the time came for me to fly the nest, I headed first to university in the UK and then to Australia (where my British parents first met), before heading back to Hong Kong. I moved to Singapore in 2016 and have no plans to leave this little Red Dot for the foreseeable future.
2. Tell us about your family.
My husband is American and we have a 2.5 year old daughter and a 4 year old Cavapoo. I also have a younger sister who lives in New York and works in communications. We are very close, so the time and physical distance is tough - as many expats will understand - but it makes our time together over holidays all the more special. 19-hour flights with a toddler really are no fun though!
My parents retired to Malaysia about ten years ago and are frequent visitors to Singapore to see their only grandchild. They’re still very adventurous at heart – far more than I am these days and I love that about them.
3. What’s your favourite weekend activity in Singapore?
Trying to find somewhere for my daughter and dog to run around, so usually the beach or open space of some description. My daughter is also obsessed with the zoo, so we’re frequent visitors to Mandai. We’re also fans of a quick weekend trip to one of Singapore’s many neighbouring countries – one of the perks of being in Southeast Asia.
4. Did you always want to be in communications?
Not at all! I always assumed I was going to become a teacher, like most of my family members. In fact, I can trace educators back almost 200 years in my family tree. When I completed my post-graduate degree, I applied and was accepted to do a PGCE but at the last minute changed my mind and joined a global public relations firm. Fifteen years later, I’m leading the communications team at Dulwich College (Singapore). A coincidence? Maybe. Good luck? Definitely.
When you look at the skills needed to be an effective teacher and communications consultant, there is a lot of overlap: strong verbal and written communication skills, the ability to adapt quickly to a situation, tailor information to an audience and tell a great story, solve problems and build relationships.
5. What is your favourite book and who is your favourite author?
With a history teacher for a dad, I grew up with walls of books at home – usually weighty tomes on the Third Reich or the Cultural Revolution. These days, I reach for something lighter but honestly, it’s all over the place. I’m currently reading “The Rise and Fall of the Dinosaurs: A New History of a Lost World” by Steve Brusatte. I sometimes have 4 or 5 books on the go to suit whatever mood I’m in. If I need some self-care time, I head to the library and grab Jane Austen.
6. Tell us about a hidden talent or a top secret that no-one would know about you.
I’m pretty good at accents, especially my mum’s Bristolian one. Oooh-arhhhh.
7. Which five people would you invite to a dinner party, dead or alive?
I’d love an evening with some trailblazing women like Harriett Tubman and Josephine Baker.
8. What does a typical day at the College look like for you?
Like teaching, there is no typical day in communications. I’ve received the most wonderful welcome from the Dulwich College (Singapore) community this week, with lots of great conversations with our impressive faculty and business support staff, not to mention the brilliant students. I’m thrilled to be here and looking forward to the many exciting events and activities we have planned for the rest of the academic year.
