Providing Hope & Change
ALIA EYRES is the CEO of Mother’s Choice and a mother to six of her own children. Most recently, she was recognised as a Southeast Asia Regional Honouree at YPO’s Global Impact Awards.
You were born in Hong Kong but left for a while; what brought you back here?
I left for almost 14 years and lived in Switzerland, Venezuela, England, the US and Israel! I moved back in 2009 as a newlywed because Hong Kong is home, and I wanted to start my own family and lay down my own roots as an adult here in this amazing city.
What has been the highlight of your expat experience?
My family has been in Hong Kong for almost half a century, so I didn’t feel so much of an expat until I moved back with my husband who is Irish but grew up in East Africa.
The best part of moving back has been building relationships with people from all over the world through our work, our kids’ school and our church. It’s truly a privilege to be friends with people from different countries and cultures.
And the toughest challenge you’ve faced?
Becoming very ill during my pregnancy with my fifth son and having him born almost two and a half months prematurely was a real challenge for me and my family. For more than six months, either I was in and out of the hospital, or my newborn baby was. I had to rely on others to help me with everything – both at work and at home, and in caring for my other children.
I learned to appreciate what we always say at Mother’s Choice – that it really does “take a village to raise a child”. To ask for and accept the help of others, to put the small things I previously worried about into perspective, and to foster gratitude more in my everyday life and work. I’m still overwhelmed when I think about all the people who stepped up to help me, many of whom I didn’t even know very well, during that difficult time.
How did you get involved with Mother’s Choice?
My parents and their close friends Gary and Helen Stephens were the co-founders of Mother’s Choice. So, I was raised around the volunteers and their families who put so much into the early years. They inspired me with their community spirit and small acts of courage and kindness that had a bigger impact than any of them could have imagined. Never in a million years did I ever think that I would work at Mother’s Choice full-time one day!
It wasn’t until I moved back to Hong Kong as a corporate lawyer 11 years ago and wanted to get more involved as a professional, that I learned that those in the business world can have a part to play in the non-profit sector too.
It was only after three years of volunteering and supporting as a young professional that I made the leap and applied to be the CEO. That was almost eight years ago now, and I can say that it has been both the most challenging and most rewarding career decision that I’ve ever made!
As a mother of six and a business leader, what’s your advice to women wondering how you fit so much achievement into one life?
I actually don’t fit so much in – no one can do it all! I’ve spent a significant amount of time thinking about what’s really important to me at work and at home, and then prioritising those things. I can’t do everything with my kids or do everything at work, but I have identified what I need to do to make me feel like I’m winning at home, and what I need to do to make me feel like I’m winning at work. I let everything else go, or I let someone else do it.
I’ve also had to learn how to negotiate (and then re-negotiate, as life changes) about home management jobs with my husband. If we’re both going to enjoy life and work, we can’t just follow traditional gender roles. We’re learning how to figure out what each one of us is good at, and making sure that we’re both pulling our weight at home.
Finally, whether you’re married or have kids or not, we all need to take care of ourselves. I used to think that self-care was an “extra” or a “nice to have”. I’ve come to learn that making time each week to do things that bring me joy and inspiration is critical for avoiding burn-out, even if it has nothing to do with my work or my family.