Sonia Ortega
Founder and Chief Executive Officer 
Sonia and her husband Luis brought their two young children to Australia from Argentina in 1979. When she arrived, she didn’t speak any English. Determined to build a better life for her family, she quickly adapted to Australian life and learned a new language.
She could empathize with newcomers to Australia, knowing both the difficult and joyous moments that migrants face. With an entrepreneurial mindset backed by her personal experience, Sonia created Global experience in 1999. She wanted to provide the right support for students to help them settle in and enjoy the beautiful country that Sonia had come to love. Before she embarked on the adventure that is now Global experience, she and her husband hosted international students in their own homes as well.
Now, after 40 years in Australia, Sonia is both a businesswoman and a proud grandmother. She’s even completed health and wellbeing courses in hypnosis, integrative nutrition, mind-body eating, and neuro-linguistic programming (the language of one’s own mind). She also mentors and inspires young women and migrants who want to open their own businesses.
In her spare time, Sonia enjoys traveling the globe, arts, writing, and spending time with her family, including 6 beautiful grandchildren.
Sonia’s favorite thing about Australia: The freedom to be oneself.
Luis Ortega
Business Development Manager
Luis, Sonia’s husband of over 44 years, has supported Sonia and her dream since the beginning. After moving to Australia with Sonia in 1979, Luis sought his own business path. He came to Australia as a pastry chef, and within two days of arriving, he started working at a well-known French patisserie in the CBD. After learning English and trading in his baker’s hat for a hard hat, he successfully ran several businesses, mostly in the building industry.
In 2012, Luis suffered an unexpected illness which caused him to reassess and change his life dramatically. He ended his current business ventures and joined the Global experience team. With a new perspective, he enjoyed more relaxation and better health. Luis brings his own business acumen and wisdom to the Global experience team. He currently assists with visiting homes in the Sydney area.
When he’s not at work, he is on the hunt for the best coffee in Sydney and Melbourne, and the sweets to eat alongside. He also plays competitive golf twice a week and stays on top of politics in Australia and around the world. He says his grey hair brings a lot of wisdom, and his 6 grandchildren think he is very funny.
Luis’ favorite thing about Australia: The outdoor life.
Agnes Ong
Chief Operating Officer 
Agnes came from Indonesia in 1996 to complete high school, followed by a Bachelor of Commerce at the University of Wollongong and a Master’s degree from the University of New South Wales. Although she didn’t do a homestay when she first arrived in Australia, she stayed with relatives she had only met a few times. She knows how unfamiliar students can feel when meeting their new hosts. Agnes would love to be a homestay host someday.
She speaks both Indonesian and English. Agnes has been with Global experience since 2007, and she is so glad she crossed paths with Sonia to know how it feels to “work for a family". Agnes’s many hobbies include cooking (she loves Marion Grasby), playing with her niece, make-up artistry (she’s a qualified make-up artist, too!), and traveling. Some of her favorite cities are New York, Dubai, and Singapore.
Agnes’s favorite thing about Australia: It’s a safe and multicultural country, and you can’t beat the beaches!
Stone Du
Chief Financial Controller 
Stone is from Harbin City in northeast China. He’s been in Australia since 2005. He has a beautiful family with his wife Amelia and their two darling children Han and Abby. He originally studied Animal Science but came to Australia to complete two master’s degrees in business and accounting. When Stone first arrived in Australia, he stayed in a homestay, and unfortunately, his experience wasn’t that great. Stone speaks Mandarin and English.
Now, he’s one of Global experience’s veteran employees; he’s been with us since 2009. When he’s not managing the accounts for students, hosts, and clients, he enjoys playing video games, outdoor activities with his wife and children, and watching movies.
Stone’s favorite thing about Australia: There are so many cultures living together and the great weather.
Pui Ling Bon
Liaison Officer 
Pui Ling Bon, or “Bon” as we know her at Global experience, moved from Malaysia to Perth in 2010 to complete her Bachelor of Science in Psychology. In 2014, she moved to Sydney where she commenced her career in the international student education industry. After her own yearlong homestay experience with an Italian/Macedonian family, she connected with the students she was helping and enjoyed learning new things from their culture and stories. Now with Global experience, she uses her skills in Mandarin, Cantonese, Malay, and English to place students and liaise with families.
On the weekends, Bon uses her incredibly friendly and patient personality to teach ballet to preschool children, as she has been a ballet dancer since she was 5. She also enjoys arranging flowers and traveling. She’s a “fur mum” to three adorable bunnies.
Bon’s favorite thing about Australia: It’s a multicultural country.
Margaret Jones
Homestay Coordinator 
Margaret migrated from singapore with her husband and two young children in 1998.
She started working in international student admissions at RMIT University and then joined Victoria University's international sponsered student divison. She then worked at the University of Melbourne Study Abroad. With over 15 years of working with international students, she enjoys helping international students to settle in a new city.
Over the years,Margaret has been a homestay provider to international students from Malaysia,Hong Kong and singapore. She speaks Malay and Cantonese.
Margaret volunteers at her local neighbourhood house and joins the committee as a Board member.She had recently joined visual art classes and enjoys lino printing. Her other interests are walking her dog and hitting the gym when she can.
Margaret's favourite thing about Australia: visiting the regional towns and discovering the charm of each city.
Nadia Diaz
Caregiving Coordinator 
Global experience is lucky to have had Nadia on the team since 2004. Nadia came to Australia from Chile in 1970, and she
hosted students on the Gold Coast in the 1990s. Nadia is proud of her experience with Ge and has held many roles
throughout her time with the company. She feels blessed to have been a home inspection coordinator and now a
guardian/caregiver for our U18 students. Nadia speaks both Spanish and English.
She has two beautiful grandchildren and loves spending time with her friends and family. She also enjoys opera and classical music, and she seeks opportunities to grow through self-development and spirituality.
Life is beautiful if we know how to live it.
Nadia's favorite thing about Australia: The freedom you feel in every aspect of Australian life.