Catherine McKinley began her professional journey in journalism with the BBC World Service in London before moving, with Dow Jones, to Shanghai and Hanoi. In the naughties, she transitioned to research for development agencies working in good governance and media development in Vietnam. Most recently, she set up and ran a school there. She now lives with her adult children in Oxford and works as a freelance consultant. She holds an MSc in Public Policy and Management, a PG Dip in Media and Governance, and a BA (Hons) in Mandarin.