FilCanadian’s memoir ‘Don’t Forget the Soap’ to launch Sept. 17th
By Carissa VillacortaFilCanadian banking executive Marie Claire Lim Moore has published her first book, “Don’t Forget the Soap,” a collection of anecdotes from different points in her life: the tight-knit Filipino community in Vancouver, memories of her move to New York, her experiences at Yale, and travels as a young career woman.
Underlying this narrative is the story of a global citizen who does not want to forget the fundamental values that come with the “immigrant experience.” Claire is Citi’s Asia Pacific regional director. She and her family live in the glitzy expat bubble of Singapore.
Coming from a high ranking Filipina in global finance, this book is not so much about knowing how to climb the corporate ladder or how to secure the corner office, but a memoir of how her mother, Lenore Lim, an early education teacher and artist, taught her the importance of balance in life — in work and in love, in academics and socials, and in time and money.
Combining her Filipino upbringing, United Nations exposure, Ivy League education, and reminders from her mother, Claire was able to rise in the corporate world while keeping her feet on the ground. In “Don’t Forget the Soap,” she shares how she was able to travel and work around the world, while keeping her ego in place, and her heart at home.
After spending the early part of her childhood in Vancouver, Claire moved to New York City at 12 and attended the United Nations International School where she sang on stage with Debbie Gibson and received her high school diploma from Kofi Annan. She went on to Yale for college. She met her husband, Alex, while working for Citi in Sao Paulo, Brazil. The pair got married in Manila, shortly before moving to Singapore.
Now a mom to Carlos and Isabel, Claire also manages the Global Client business for Citi in Asia. She enjoys juggling career and family and likes to throw in community and politics for fun by campaigning for U.S. political candidates, fundraising for organizations that advance the role of women in business and promoting foreign direct investment in the Philippines.
As Asia Pacific regional director of Citi Global Client Banking, Claire is responsible for 14 markets in Asia and over half a million customers. She has 15+ years of extensive international experience managing cross-border consumer banking and payment products. She started her career in the Establishment Services Division at American Express. She left the firm in 1999 to join friends and former Yale classmates who were starting an Internet company focused on small business needs. In 2001 she joined Citi Cards in the U.S. where she led the shift from traditional to online marketing. In 2005 she started working on the international side of the business covering local markets including Brazil and the Philippines.
With her life story intersecting through certain points in history, Claire writes about finding herself and her family in the company of Philippine President Corazon Aquino in Malacanang and building houses in Mexico with former American President Jimmy Carter.
Equally engaging chapters in the book are her everyday experiences and perspective on life. Why she thinks Christmas should be regulated or why kids shouldn’t say, “I’m bored.”
Claire’s book launch and signing is scheduled on Tuesday, September 17 at 6 p.m. at the Philippine Center on Fifth Avenue. ‘Don’t Forget the Soap’ is also available as an e-book on Amazon.com. Follow Claire at www.facebook.com/marieclairelimmoore or twitter.com/marieclaireLM.
I finished reading this book as soon as I downloaded it on Amazon. Inspiring stories about how you can achieve a lot by not forgetting where you came from. I enjoyed the parts of the book that spoke about trying to live your life without regrets, specifically about not taking for granted your friends and family and treating those in need as VIPs. Wonderful read.
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