Curating Asia capability: The Asialink Leaders Program at 30

The Asialink Leaders Program has stood the test of time for three decades, developing a generation of Asia-capable Australian leaders. What makes it so effective and so different? According to the Program’s learning curators, Catherine Mudford and Charlotta Oberg, the answer lies in the intentionality of its design, the diversity of its people, and a journey that goes far beyond knowledge and networks. 

Building a transformational learning journey 

It is easy to assume that the impact of the Asialink Leaders Program lies in its high-profile speakers and headline-making themes. “Hearing from leading voices and meeting key influencers is part of the experience,” says Catherine Mudford, Director of Capability Development at Asialink Business. “But that alone doesn’t shift how you think and act months or years later. What sets this program apart is the intentional learning journey we build around it.” 

The Program is structured to shift perspectives, catalyse new ways of thinking, and build deep, long-lasting connections. Mapping this path requires a careful balance of knowledge and relationships, explains Charlotta Oberg, Program Director. “The real work is curating not just what participants learn, but how they connect,” she says. 

30 years of evolution 

Australia’s interest in the region has matured in line with Asia’s rise. In concert, the Program and participation has evolved too. Today’s participants are typically more experienced, with the average age shifting from the 20s to the 40s.  

The Program’s curriculum reflects a world that is more complex and fragmented. Geopolitical tensions, climate disruption, technological transformation, and societal shifts now intersect in ways that demand more agile leadership. Critically, the perspectives of the region have become more central as participants explore how these issues are understood within Asia, and how our neighbours perceive and expect Australia to engage. 

Technology has transformed the program’s reach and delivery. A virtual hub now connects participants across Asia, regional and rural Australia, and those on the move. 

Curated cohorts, curated connections 

A key element of the Program’s success comes from the considered selection of each year’s cohort. Unlike many leadership initiatives, participants are accepted not only for their professional accomplishments and potential, but also for the richness they bring to the group dynamic. 

“Selection isn’t about exclusivity, but intentional inclusion,” says Oberg. “We build the room so that everyone—from arts and community professionals to business executives and public servants—can learn from each other.” This cross-sectoral diversity is frequently cited by alumni as the program’s ‘secret sauce’. Rather than a self-selecting group of executives climbing a career ladder, the Program creates a dynamic community of purpose-driven change-makers. 

What remains unchanged over the decades is the power of connection. Leaders continue to learn from and engage with the community they have met through the Program well beyond graduation. 

Readiness for the fast-changing future 

Asia is complex. Leaders require sophisticated knowledge of the distinct and nuanced differences of the region, confidence to communicate across cultures and contexts, and the ability to build long-term trusted relationships, particularly with stakeholders where values and belief systems are not always shared. To deftly navigate this complexity, the Program teaches two interconnected methodologies: deep listening and cultural intelligence. 

Deep listening fosters empathy and sparks transformative dialogues, according to Mudford, who says building the capability to listen to diverse and divergent perspectives is key. “It’s about listening beyond the words,” she says. “To build Asia capability, you have to be able to hold divergent views and be willing to create new futures, potentially beyond anything you could have imagined before joining the program.” 

Oberg, a global expert in cultural intelligence, equips participants to navigate differences, sparking curiosity about the richness of context and culture. She emphasises this is not just about operating effectively, it’s about learning from, and being transformed by, different ways of seeing the world. 

As Mudford and Oberg stress, the Program is, at its heart, a leadership experience. “We don’t start with ‘you’ll become a change agent’,” says Oberg, “but by the end, that’s exactly what happens. Leaders see themselves and their work in a broader context. That shift fuels vision, confidence and responsibility.” 

Sustained impact into the future 

The Asialink Leaders Program fosters an active, lifelong leadership community. As Mudford adds, “We create a space for collective ambition, and it becomes unstoppable.” A key channel for this ambition is the Program’s workplace project. The project is a vehicle for change that tends to find wings beyond the Asialink Leaders Program. Tim Watts MP’s book, ‘The Golden Country: Australia’s Changing Identity’, began life as a workplace project. Melanie Harris’ project focused on building Asia capability among Indigenous Australian businesses and became a blueprint for a national role supporting Indigenous exporters. 

Participants are encouraged not just to learn, but to lead—with an expanded sense of both responsibility and possibility. They leave the Program with a mindset, skillset and community that empowers them to drive positive change for the nation and region. 

In a pivotal moment for Australia’s future with Asia, this is transformational. 

Catherine Mudford is Director of Capability Development, Asialink Business. She leads all learning and development for Asialink Business and has been stewarding the Asialink Leaders program since 2021.

Charlotta Oberg is the Asialink Leaders Program Director, Asialink Business. Lotta has been leading the curation of the cohort and program since 2020.