Name: Joyce Yang
Nickname: Roo, Mummy of Mini-Roo
Where are you from / Where do you call home?
I am from Taipei, Taiwan. I’ve lived and worked in more than 6 countries and I call where my family and loved ones are united home.
What are you best known for?
I think it would be taking risks. I like to challenge myself to go out of my comfort zone. So I dropped out of my university degree and a comfortable lifestyle in Taiwan and left to explore the world and new possibilities when I was 19.
What’s your background?
I am an international marketing & communications professional and a partnerships development & social media specialist with 15 years of global working experience.
I specialise in communications management, partnerships development & management, international marketing, social media strategies, and China social media.
My professional footprint has covered Australia, Belgium, Switzerland, France, Germany, China, Hong Kong, and Taiwan. I am also an experienced remote worker. Born in Taipei and educated in London, LA, Beijing, and Zurich. I’ve gained a thorough understanding and in-depth knowledge of the international markets. I am experienced in the tourism and international education industries.
What inspired you to get into marine conservation?
I worked on the Great Barrier Reef for three years—diving and seeing the reef changed my life for good. I still remember the first time I saw the colourful corals and the energy and impact I felt. Through countless dives on the reef, I have developed a passion for conserving coral reefs, marine life and the local communities they support.
What brought you to Reef-World & why do you care about the work we do?
I saw the role, Communications Manager on LinkedIn, and decided to apply ASAP. It’s literally my dream job because it’s in the field of what my passion is. I want to make an effort to protect our oceans and reefs. And I hope that when my daughter grows up, she can still see the reef.
What’s your role at Reef-World and what does that look like?
From communications strategic planning to social media operations, from blog writing to individual giving programmes, every day at The Reef-World looks different and exciting! I am responsible for the overall communications strategy and all things communications here. It’s a role with great autonomy, and I enjoy working with my talented team members.
What do you enjoy the most about your role?
Everything! It’s such a great thing to be working with like-minded people in an inclusive working culture.
What one piece of advice would you give to someone wanting to get into the marine conservation sector?
Never stop trying! It’s not an easy field to break into. And good opportunities don’t appear often. Keep working on your own knowledge base and skill set, be patient and keep trying, you will get there!
Outside work, what are your hobbies/favourite pastimes?
I am a writer and have published 3 books in Mandarin. I love writing and it’s my favourite hobby besides diving.
What’s your favourite marine animal and why?
Corals, of course! I’m absolutely fascinated by them. And I am amazed at how they adapt and survive through climate change and all kinds of threats.
What marine animal are you most like and why?
I think it’s probably the spinner dolphin. Curious, brave and playful. Taking big leaps out of the water. I am exactly like that! Always curious about new things, brave to break into new fields and playful when I am not at work haha.
When and where did you qualify as a diver? What made you want to try scuba?
It all started when I worked on the Great Barrier Reef back in 2016. I started swimming at a very early age. I think I was born a water baby, always enjoying being in the water. But I didn’t get into diving until I worked in the tourism industry in Australia. To me, the Great Barrier Reef has this magic power—every time I dive there, I feel calm, relaxed and re-energised. These feelings encourage me to continue diving and exploring different diving locations.
Tell us about your most memorable dive…
This is a very difficult question to answer. Because I see diving as a privilege in life, and every dive to me is special. If I have to pick one…once I was leading a media familiarisation trip, and one of the most important items on the itinerary was diving on the Great Barrier Reef! I took a 5-time Olympic champion diver, Chen Ruolin diving and showed her one of my favourite dive spots, the Moore Reef. We’ve seen so many marine animals, including clown fish (Nemo), blue tang (Dorry), green sea turtles and the resident giant Maori wrasse "Wally".
& one diving destination still on your bucket list?
I am very keen to visit our office in the Philippines! The Tubbataha Reef is where I want to dive next!
Star sign and how you express it:
Pisces…but I don’t think I am anything like it. Recently I discovered Vedic Astrology and from it, I learned that I am actually an Aquarius (truthful, assertive, confident, progressive and innovative.They are activists, campaigners and progressors of the causes they think will make a difference to the world. ) and I feel it’s more accurate.
If you could have one superpower, what would you choose and why?
The power to do time travel! Would love to see some historical events for real and see what humans are like in 100,000 years!
What’s the strangest injury you’ve ever had?
Don’t think I have one, and definitely don’t want to have one.
Tell us something most people wouldn’t know about you?
Once, I had 8 cats in Shanghai. I was working and living there with my husband. And we rescued one, and then two before we knew it, we had 8!
Anything else you’d like to share?
My daughter was born in 2022, and it’s been a fantastic experience being a mother. It’s not easy to be a working mum, but I love it!
