Chief Executive, German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce
Auckland, New Zealand
This conversation was originally published in 2019 as part of the original Careering Conversations series.
We've lightly edited it for readability while preserving the original conversation and advice, and added an update on what Monique has been doing since we first spoke.
From Germany to New Zealand, across industries and leadership roles, Monique Surges has followed her curiosity wherever it led, eventually landing her as Chief Executive of the German-New Zealand Chamber of Commerce. Along the way she's balanced leadership with raising a family, proving that careers don't need to follow a conventional path to be successful.
One thing became clear early in our conversation: Monique has never stopped learning.
Whether it was adapting to different cultures, building international business relationships or leading organisations through change, she's consistently approached new challenges with an open mind. Rather than seeing uncertainty as something to avoid, she sees it as an opportunity to grow.
Monique also spoke passionately about financial literacy. She believes schools should spend far more time teaching practical life skills such as budgeting, accounting and understanding money. Financial confidence shouldn't be something people discover by accident in adulthood—it should be part of every young person's education.
Another topic that resonated was sustainability.
Drawing on her experience with German businesses, Monique described how sustainability reporting had become embedded within many organisations. Environmental performance was no longer treated as a nice-to-have initiative but as an essential part of responsible business. It challenged us to think about how organisations measure success beyond financial performance alone.
Throughout our conversation, Monique returned to the importance of choice.
Careers rarely unfold exactly as planned, but every decision creates another opportunity to learn. Even when the harder option feels uncomfortable, it often leads to the greatest growth.
Since we first spoke
Update coming soon.
What Monique taught us
Every career is shaped by choices. Stay curious, keep learning and don't be afraid to choose the more difficult path if it aligns with your values.
